A visceral, ambitious exploration of megalomania and savage beauty, with Klaus Kinski in one of his greatest and most acclaimed roles, the 1972 Aguirre, The Wrath of God – now newly restored in 4K – remains one of Werner Herzog’s most brilliant achievements and one of German cinema’s totemic masterpieces. In August it comes to both UHD and Blu-ray formats, released by the BFI with numerous special features including an audio commentary and a new film essay.

Shot entirely on location in the wild Amazonian jungle near Machu Picchu, the films stars the legendarily volatile Kinski (Nosferatu the Vampyre) as Don Lope de Aguirre, a power-crazed 16th-century explorer who leads a troupe of conquistadors on a doomed expedition in search of El Dorado, the fabled City of Gold.

Aguirre, The Wrath of God will be released on 4K UHD and on Blu-ray by the BFI on 25 August 2025 at the RRP of £27.99 for the UHD and £19.99 for the Blu-ray.

UHD AND BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:

• UHD version: Restored 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Blu-ray version: Newly restored in 4K and presented in High Definition
• Audio commentary with Werner Herzog on Aguirre, The Wrath of God and with Herzog and actor and filmmaker Crispin Glover on Fata Morgana
• Mark Kermode introduces Aguirre, The Wrath of God (2024, 3 mins): the critic provides his personal introduction to Herzog’s film
• A Raft of Troubles: Herzog, Kinski and the Art of Darkness (2025, 19 mins): film historian Nic Wassell considers truth, fiction, myth, spectacle and the palpable sense of danger exuded by Aguirre
• The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz (1967, 16 mins): symbolic drama in which four young men prepare to face an imagined enemy
• Last Words (1968, 13 mins): a film about the last man to leave a former leper colony
• Precautions Against Fanatics (1969, 11 mins): satire about horse-racing enthusiasts
• Fata Morgana (1971, 77 mins): hallucinatory film exploring mirages and the Mayan creation myth
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Original mono audio (German and English)
• Alternative 5.1 surround audio (German)
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film by Geoff Andrew, together with archival essays by Laurie Johnson, Kim Heaney, and Richard Combs, notes on the special features and credits