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

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) by Werner Herzog - Essay Example 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. â€Å"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.