Revealing mistake: In the opening scene, when the soldiers and slaves march down the mountain, as the carriage containing Aguirre's daughter passes by the camera, one of the soldier extras just behind the carriage looks directly at the camera. (00:03:38)
Other mistake: During the opening sequence there is a shot of a muddy river where we are shown the credits for Director of Photography, Camera, Sound, Film Editor etc. When "Camera" is credited there is a number 2 next to it, that is the order in which the credit appears, but none of the other credits are numbered. (00:06:20)
Suggested correction: That's not a mistake. Fransisco Joán and Orlando Macchiavello were second cinematographers (2. Kamera in the original German film credits).
Visible crew/equipment: Near the beginning of the film, when the whole party is moving through the swamp, there is a moment when the carriage containing the two women almost topples over. If you watch the right side of the screen when this happens you can see a hand come into frame to help steady the carriage. The hand is white and sleeveless (at least to near the wrist) and obviously doesn't belong to any of the soldier's or slave's. On the Blu-Ray commentary track for the film, Werner Herzog states that this is his hand. (00:09:10)
Revealing mistake: At one point when the soldiers are walking through the jungle, one of them steps into a trap and is pulled up into the trees to be killed by Indians. However, if you watch this scene carefully, when the soldier (who steps into the trap) walks into frame you can see a wire already attached to his foot leading up into the trees. He doesn't step into a trap. (00:22:26)
Continuity mistake: When the soldier finds the other soldier dead, having been hanged from a tree by Indians, he panics and flees. Between shots the halberd weapon he was holding vanishes. (00:22:59)
Continuity mistake: After the scene when Aguirre and his men raid the cannibal village they get back on the raft. Aguirre approaches Ursua, lying injured next to his wife, and stares him down. Ursua's wife then stands up to Aguirre and grabs his arm. The shot then changes to a different angle and suddenly the horse appears behind Aguirre so that he can walk into it unexpectedly as he turns around. (00:53:30)
Continuity mistake: In the close-up shot of the gunpowder casket on fire it is located on a relatively dry spot of the raft and is in partial sunlight however when the shot changes, for Aguirre to pick it up and throw it off the raft, you can see the area is now slightly submerged and no longer sunlit at all. (00:55:46)
Visible crew/equipment: Towards the end of the film, when a tree branch damages the straw roof of the raft as it passes under a tree, you can see a crew member stood watching filming behind Aguirre and his men who are trying to dislodge the branch. He's wearing a cap, a white shirt and blue pants. (01:22:12)
Visible crew/equipment: Near the end of the film, just after one of the soldiers is hit in the chest with a spear and falls overboard, there is a shot of another soldier (who is missing teeth) lying dead on the raft. If you look in the top left corner of the shot you can see the foot of a crew member wearing a modern trainer shoe. (01:22:42)
Visible crew/equipment: In the film's final moments, as the camera revolves around the raft, you can see the wake made by the camera boat on the river's surface. (01:32:49)
