Guzman’s Delusion

By Kim Weber

[1] Throughout Werner Herzog’s film Aguirre: The Wrath of God, Guzman, through his naïve and wasteful behavior, serves to demonstrate the unpreparedness of the crew for the journey they are undertaking. Guzman, the elected leader once Ursua has been injured, should be some kind of a role model for the group; yet, the taking possession scene at around 1:04:00 and the scenes immediately before and after this moment demonstrate how delusional Guzman is and how unprepared he is to lead his crew.

[2] Immediately before Guzman formally takes possession of the land the crew is sailing past, he goes to the “bathroom” (1:03:45). Despite the ramshackle raft on which the crew sails, they have erected a special hut, presumably for Guzman’s use. He makes his way out to the hut and is very unsteady on his feet, highlighting not only his slovenliness and ineptitude, but also the lack of resources available to the crew to erect a sturdy raft. This short clip demonstrates Guzman’s wasteful actions. He has used up valuable resources, which seem to be in short supply, in order to build something that does not seem to be a necessity. Further, Herzog has chosen to include this shot of Guzman going to the bathroom. As Guzman leaves the bathroom, Herzog zooms in on his face, and Guzman’s unkempt hair flies wildly all over the screen. These conscious decisions are significant because they continue to portray Guzman as inept and slovenly. He defies the norms of a composed and put-together leader that many would expect.

[3] Immediately after Guzman’s bathroom break, there is a scene change, and he is shot from behind as he sits and formally claims the land surrounding the crew. He makes a comment that the land they have claimed is already six times larger than Spain (1:04:18). He refers to this land as “our country,” which just furthers the audience’s perception of the delusion Guzman is operating under. The crew has had minimal contact with any natives up to this point, and each interaction has involved killing by either the crew or the natives. There is clearly conflict between the crew and the natives, and the natives do not seem especially welcoming, to say the least. Guzman’s attempt to assert that this land can be claimed and belongs to his crew strikes the audience as a completely unfounded claim.

[4] Additionally, as he finishes the formal procedure and begins paging through his notes, a satisfied smile comes over his face. This sense of satisfaction furthers the notion that Guzman is delusional—he truly believes he has legitimately claimed the land that the crew is sailing past. This naïve assumption seems to foreshadow the crew’s eventual demise. The audience knows it can’t all be this simple and easy, and Guzman appears arrogant for believing he has been successful.

[5] After Guzman finishes formally claiming the land, Aguirre has his only line during this scene. He asks Guzman, “Have you seen any solid ground that would support your weight?” (1:05:10). This line makes two important points. Aguirre’s line highlights Guzman’s slovenliness and ineptitude as a leader. In this context, Aguirre’s comment could be taken as a jab at Guzman’s poor physical health and overweight figure. The comment could also be viewed as an admission that the crew has not actually set foot on much land at all. They have been “claiming” land from the middle of a river on a makeshift raft. This is not exactly the mark of a dominating and intimidating crew, which one would imagine claiming vast amounts of land. Aguirre’s use of the word “solid” hints at the fact that Aguirre is making fun of the crew’s inability to actually establish itself on any land (without losing members to the natives in the woods) under Guzman’s poor leadership.

[6] Following the taking possession scene, Guzman is shown feasting on a meal of fish and fruits (1:06:34). He eats like an animal, making loud smacking noises and getting fruit all over his face. He has a large spread that covers an entire table, while the rest of the crew is sharing their last grains of corn. Guzman’s only comment about the feast is that there is not enough salt on the fish. This comment proves Guzman’s disconnection with the struggles of the rest of the crew. They are literally barely scraping by with enough food, yet Guzman is balking at the notion of poor seasoning. This moment shows the ineptitude of the crew’s leader and shows his inability to relate to the trials of the rest of the group. Guzman’s feast during troubling times is yet another sign of his bad leadership and seems to be just another signifier of the group’s impending doom.

[7] The taking possession scene shows how out of touch Guzman is with the rest of his group. His inability to relate, coupled with his slovenliness and selfishness, demonstrate what a bad leader he is. His delusion in regards to the success of the crew at claiming land, pointed out by Aguirre, further call his leadership into question. After this scene the audience is left with little hope for the crew as a result of the imbecile whom they must obey.