Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
Man against nature and descent into madness. This movie starts and end well. I particularly liked the opening sequence with the entire expedition walking on this narrow path, combined with the up-and-close camerawork really made it feel like you are there with them in the jungle. The narrow 1.33 ratio adds to that as well. Less beautiful nature (even though it is), more dangerous wilderness and a feeling of an enclosed and trapped space even though we are out in the open.
While Klaus Kinski is a master in giving his character plenty of life with few words, the rest of the cast lacks substance. There is not much to latch onto, which for me made most of the middle part of the movie lacking. I can understand why this is still remembered today, because it is a substantial feat of a movie with an unique harrowing atmosphere, but it did not capture my full attention.
Rating: 3.5