Matt Shea
RubySoho
Morgan Bell
Cibbuano
David O'Connell
Mountain Fog
Cannibal Holocaust
May 18th 2007 13:28
It was banned in most countries when it first came out, and the director was charged with making a snuff film. I watched it yesterday and it seemed like a cleverly written commentary on the brutality of civilized humanity.
There's disgust, though, mainly at the scenes of animal cruelty... a turtle is slaughtered and eaten, a small pig is kicked and shot, a monkey has its face cut off. Itīs been suggested that the natives that the filmmakers were working with insisted on doing it the right way, but itīs still appalling on film.
Generally, I think most people would be turned off by the graphic violence and sex in the film, but Iīve always felt that Cannibal Holocaust has many redeeming qualities.
For example, the narrative structure is twisted and compelling, drawing you further and further into its cinema verite, way before Blair Witch ripped it open. I canīt help but feel that, if this was a Hollywood film, it would have been linear and boring.
Despite the graphic content, this is not a film that glorifies sex and violence... it becomes clear, almost from the beginning, that the true savages are not the jungle-dwelling natives, but the so-called īcivilizedī documentary makers.
Unfortunately, the film is marred by awful acting, with the dubbing almost atrocious in places. Also, thereīs not much character development... that is, we donīt get a chance to see the change in the Westerners, and thus understand what made them savage...
While itīs ot easy viewing material, Cannibal Holocaust is definitely a provocative film, and one that deserves to be admired for the sheer reality of the scenes, which border on astounding.
There's disgust, though, mainly at the scenes of animal cruelty... a turtle is slaughtered and eaten, a small pig is kicked and shot, a monkey has its face cut off. Itīs been suggested that the natives that the filmmakers were working with insisted on doing it the right way, but itīs still appalling on film.
Generally, I think most people would be turned off by the graphic violence and sex in the film, but Iīve always felt that Cannibal Holocaust has many redeeming qualities.
For example, the narrative structure is twisted and compelling, drawing you further and further into its cinema verite, way before Blair Witch ripped it open. I canīt help but feel that, if this was a Hollywood film, it would have been linear and boring.
Despite the graphic content, this is not a film that glorifies sex and violence... it becomes clear, almost from the beginning, that the true savages are not the jungle-dwelling natives, but the so-called īcivilizedī documentary makers.
Unfortunately, the film is marred by awful acting, with the dubbing almost atrocious in places. Also, thereīs not much character development... that is, we donīt get a chance to see the change in the Westerners, and thus understand what made them savage...
While itīs ot easy viewing material, Cannibal Holocaust is definitely a provocative film, and one that deserves to be admired for the sheer reality of the scenes, which border on astounding.
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Comment by Stanley
Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner
I dunno, I don't think I could sit through a movie that has graphic slaughter of anything...
Sounds interesting though...
Great post!
Take care,
Nick
Comment by KylieW
Celebrity Obsession
I have heard of this film and it's graphic violence. I've never seen it though. Not sure I could watch the scene's of animals being slaughtered though.
Definitely an interesting flick
Kylie
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD