Do not ask for another " aguirre der Zorn Gottes" (1972),Werner Herzog's masterwork will probably remain unsurpassed as far the subject is concernd .
But it does not mean that "oro" is a dud ; it certainly has qualities :the first one is the absence of real hero : who are the villains? Who are the good guys ?We are spared the traditional love story between the Dona and a chivalrous member of the trek : the woman is coveted by everyone and her virtue is put to the test all along the saga (dig the line: "he won't console anyone now!");in this green hell, the real enemies are the members themselves ,much more than the Indians who are most of the time invisible or their compatriots hot on their heels ; all these men are beyond any moral :where is good? In the priest 's words ,a naive man who wants to evangelize "those natives in the Devil's clutches " ? In the way the soldiers choose to die (the garrote being infamous) ?
Most likely in the old man's wisdom:he chose to marry an Indian girl who gave him children and he's settled in a small village where he waits for death ,not caring anymore for this gold that makes men kill each other with God on their side ; one should note that gore is kept to relatively economical levels (the caimans ,the snake, the slittings)
The atmosphere is stifling and nightmarish ,but the script leaves a lot to be desired and the characters are nor developed enough.
But it does not mean that "oro" is a dud ; it certainly has qualities :the first one is the absence of real hero : who are the villains? Who are the good guys ?We are spared the traditional love story between the Dona and a chivalrous member of the trek : the woman is coveted by everyone and her virtue is put to the test all along the saga (dig the line: "he won't console anyone now!");in this green hell, the real enemies are the members themselves ,much more than the Indians who are most of the time invisible or their compatriots hot on their heels ; all these men are beyond any moral :where is good? In the priest 's words ,a naive man who wants to evangelize "those natives in the Devil's clutches " ? In the way the soldiers choose to die (the garrote being infamous) ?
Most likely in the old man's wisdom:he chose to marry an Indian girl who gave him children and he's settled in a small village where he waits for death ,not caring anymore for this gold that makes men kill each other with God on their side ; one should note that gore is kept to relatively economical levels (the caimans ,the snake, the slittings)
The atmosphere is stifling and nightmarish ,but the script leaves a lot to be desired and the characters are nor developed enough.