Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Werner Herzog - Essay Example

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Werner Herzog        Herzog’s film, Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) narrates about the privilege of getting installed on the throne of leadership. This film specifically shows what happens if a leader foolishly gets carried away in the power that has been afforded him. One important lesson that can be derived from the film pertains to the consequences of selfish desires of the leaders like Pizarro, Guzman, and Aguirre. All of them were given the opportunity to lead the expedition, but all of them failed because of some problems with their character and leadership system. Character is an important factor in the implementation of leadership responsibilities. In this film however, the immaturity of the leaders was presented by the way they come up with their decisions and in their ability to handle the pressures that surround them.        “To lead is to serve”. This is the ideal principle of leadership but not even one of the three leaders has shown such example. For instance, Pizarro has exercised selfish dictatorship. His system might be effective in some respects but the effect was not good enough. This is because he was too insensitive with the situation that was taking place with his men. He did not think deeply about the possible consequences of his decision. In one instance, he sent out forty of his men to the dangerous Amazon River and jungle without realizing how this may impact them. He placed the live of his men at risk even if he knew that the Amazon River and the jungle will be treacherous for the expedition. Evidently, Pizarro had abused and mishandled his power. Guzman, on the other hand, displayed avariciousness in his leadership regime. More specifically, he deprived his men with their basic needs such as food. He wanted only to take care of himself and made sure that he has a good supply of food. Meanwhile, he let the men who are serving him go hungry and thirsty. All he wanted was to lead by dominating other people and treat them like the lowest of servants. Meanwhile, he preferred to be selfishly served. He enjoyed it that the men clothed him with good suits and served him with the best food that they have during the expedition. Furthermore, Guzman was even assisted by the slaves when he is taking a bath. The thing is, he also had poor decision making abilities. One statement he made that is quite hard to forget is “Get rid of the horse!” This is because it truly displays how insufficient his pressure-handling abilities are. At that moment, the horse was in a horrible agitation and yet he directed his men to throw the horse down the river and just let it die. His men didn’t have the choice but to follow. Meanwhile, that horse would have been a one-week supply of meat to his starving men and slaves.         On the other hand, Aguirre, the one who had taken over the throne after Guzman and calls himself the wrath of God, was the worst leader one can ever imagine. His character is worst than any rebellious successor could become. To be a good leader, he must have denied his selfish desires. Instead, he was a poor follower and was too ambitious that even at the start, he desired the position and power. When they had a mutiny against the leadership of Ursua (the commander in charged by Pizzaro), he wanted to lead the mutineers. However, all men chose Guzman over him. This depicts the fact that a person is only a good leader when there are followers who support and back him up. In the case of Aguirre, no one seemed to dare follow him. He was violent and appeared kill anyone who would not abide by his laws. Obviously, the men in the expedition did not like Aguirre. His wrath became worse when he was just appointed as second leader (Schager).        The command issued by Pizarro was to send forty men to an expedition so that they will discover an alternative place that will be best for everyone. If a week has passed and no one has come back to their camp, then he will assume that the expedition is a failure. The forty men faced the danger of crossing the Amazon River and jungle. The Amazon River and jungle, in all its peril, actually symbolized the hindrance to the desires of Europeans to widen its Imperialist colonies and use up the resources that are not theirs in the first place.        As the film rolled on, the first soldiers who died were trapped in a whirlpool in the river. Civilians, including the two slave Indians, were counted as casualties. Other soldiers and men also died because of the traps that were made by the native jungle people. Some were even eaten by the cannibals. There are also soldiers and men who have died because of starvation. Some of them didn’t have enough strength to endure while others had hallucination.        However, sending out men to a place or journey that does not assure positive result can be an undesirable decision. Pizarro risked forty of his men, including two women - one of which is only fifteen years old. Forty men were lost because of his hasty decision. He had sent out irresponsible and selfish leaders to an important expedition. On the other hand, the 40 men had could have had the chance to help the whole group of Pizarro yet all of the leaders who stood up were of their own imperialist desires. No one had apparently shown the maturity of a leader.        If only Guzman considered caring for his men and not just his own greedy yearnings, his men would have been able to think straight and act with clarity. There must have been a good rapport between him and his men enough for them to draft a better plan about their expedition. But he was never sensitive to his people and that was the foundation of his weak headship. He had not guarded his mouth as he made decision without thinking thoroughly about it.          When Guzman died and the chance to lead was finally given to Aguirre, the situation got even worse. The counterforce of nature was evident in Aguirre’s failure (Schager). Nothing was left of him - not even his own daughter. He tried to kill anyone who did not like his ways so in the end, he had no one beside him. He is indeed the wrath of God and what he said was true. Because of him and his actions, everyone suffered. All of them were lost because of his wicked imperialist desires.          Meanwhile, watching the film Aguirre, the Wrath of God, can be a rewarding experience especially for aspiring leaders. The ultimate lesson in this film is the principle illustrated by the quote “leadership is a lifestyle”.  From the different characters and leadership systems shown off by Pizarro, Guzman, and Aguirre, no one among them stood up to be good models of leadership. Each one of them had the privilege to use power; however, they lost the chance to triumph.        Due to the lack of maturity and unsatisfactory leadership system, Guzman and Aguirre went astray and the expedition was a failure. No immature leader can make it through the battle if the character is poor and the system is weak. Even the forces surrounding the Amazon River and jungle have defeated them. The hunger, thirst, and all the danger surrounding them were like the consequence of the wickedness of imperialist leaders of the expedition.        In this film, it was also emphasized that it takes a lot of character development before a leader can be truly considered as one. Guzman and Aguirre in particular did not deserve to be called leaders since in the first place, they were not good followers. Furthermore, a reliable character and organized system are two important leadership factors that Guzman and Aguirre did not have. Pizzaro could have been a good leader but he had significant flaw. He had integrity but his leadership skills were not good enough.        Anything can happen when a person is leading a group of people. Hence, it is important to maintain uprightness, strong command, and the desire to serve the people instead of being served. The followers look up to the leader in everything that he does. It is therefore a requirement to make leadership a lifestyle that is based on unselfishness and a genuine care for the well-being of his people.        The film likewise presents how an ideal leader should be. It shows that a leader needs to have a positive disposition and righteous flair even under pressure. A leader must also be sensitive to the needs of his men and not to prioritize his needs alone. Leading is serving and not enslaving other people and force them to serve the leader. It is about self-denial and thinking about the good of the followers.        No one can attain successful leadership if they think and act like Guzman and most especially Aguirre. These two were the basic models of vain leaders. All they wanted was power, majesty, and the throne. Gluttony, avarice, and pride characterized their rule. If a leader doesn’t want to end up like they did, then it is best to throw these attitudes away and replace them with the real qualities of an effective leader. Works Cited Aguirre, the Wrath of God. Dir. Werner Herzog. Perf. Klaus Kinski, Helena Rojo, Del Negro, and Ruy Guerra. New Yorker Films, 1972.  Schager, Nick. "Aguirre: The Wrath of God." Slant Magazine: 6 pars. 3 October 2006 .        Read More