Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)

Here is a visually and psychologically powerful portrayal of progressive megalomania, played so physically and idiosyncratically by Klaus Kinski. His face is unforgettable with its Teutonic definition, bloodless sculpted lips, and ever sharp but hooded eyes. His swaggering posture is unflaggingly simian, with a low center of gravity as he pivots always at his knees. His choices, strategies, and actions present a study in Machiavellianism. Visually the landscape is stunning as well, and the cinematography (most impressive given the arduous conditions and young age of the director) is creatively varied and always sumptuous, even when feasting on squalor. This is The Mission meets The Lord of the Flies on The African Queen. The greed and expedience of the conquistadors and even the monk are chilling as they slip from self-deception that they choose into self-deception they cannot control. Such is madness, after all. 4.5 stars.