I've seen this film twice. The first, if you can believe it, was on my little B&W TV, on rabbit ears, broadcast from TVO. Only years later did I realize that this was part of an early edition of Jay Scott's Film International (when he was still hosting just six films every spring, until it become a full-time series in 1989-1990). Then ten years later I saw it at the Revue one summer evening. That screening had such a profound effect on me that I've feared seeing it in any other fashion would be reductive. (I'm sure seeing it on a big screen TV is fine, but after sitting in the third row of the Revue looking up to see them literally walking through clouds...)
My story: I first heard of the film through Danny Peary's seminal book, "Cult Movies". In 1992 or so I saw Aguirre at the Bloor Cinema and enjoyed it very much. ("Enjoyed" in the sense that I felt I had watched something special.)
I got off the subway after a day at work, and as I took my seat I realized I might not make it through a movie given my (rare) headache. The picture starts; the camera is handheld; scenes on water. I won't make it.
I did. And I loved it. (My headache disappeared downstream. It probably got caught in a whirlpool.)
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I've seen this film twice. The first, if you can believe it, was on my little B&W TV, on rabbit ears, broadcast from TVO. Only years later did I realize that this was part of an early edition of Jay Scott's Film International (when he was still hosting just six films every spring, until it become a full-time series in 1989-1990). Then ten years later I saw it at the Revue one summer evening. That screening had such a profound effect on me that I've feared seeing it in any other fashion would be reductive. (I'm sure seeing it on a big screen TV is fine, but after sitting in the third row of the Revue looking up to see them literally walking through clouds...)
Thanks for the notes of memories!
My story: I first heard of the film through Danny Peary's seminal book, "Cult Movies". In 1992 or so I saw Aguirre at the Bloor Cinema and enjoyed it very much. ("Enjoyed" in the sense that I felt I had watched something special.)
I got off the subway after a day at work, and as I took my seat I realized I might not make it through a movie given my (rare) headache. The picture starts; the camera is handheld; scenes on water. I won't make it.
I did. And I loved it. (My headache disappeared downstream. It probably got caught in a whirlpool.)
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