"Cannibal Holocaust" has always been, on some level, kind of the "holy grail" for seekers of the most extreme of Extreme Horror Cinema. Nowadays, that reputation still stands, if a bit softened by time. Still, as arguably the most hated/reviled film in the world, and definitely one of the most-banned, Ruggero Deodato's "Cannibal Holocaust", no matter how you look at it, is one sick fuck of a movie. Much has been made of this film's influence on the "pseudo-documentary" genre, most notably "The Blair Witch Project" and "The Last Broadcast". All I can say is, yes, there are some similarities, but there is a big honkin' caveat here: if you go into "Cannibal Holocaust" expecting the more subdued (and decidedly bloodless) chills of "Blair Witch", then you're going to be in for a BIG, nasty, offensive surprise. You think I'm kidding, Mr. "I've seen it all"? I mean it. You've been warned...
The synopsis...
The story is a simple one: an investigative group (led by genre stalwart and former hard-core porn actor Robert Kerrmann) jouneys into the bowels of the Amazon River Basin to find a missing team of amateur, , slightly disturbed, yet dedictaed filmmakers (three guys and a girl, 'natch) who have been missing for some time. Their investigation What they find, 'natch, is the footage that the lost team filmed...and much more. Upon returning to New York (why is it that all of these Italian Cannibal/Zombie movies have an indelible NYC connection?), they view the footage, and are shocked, disgusted, and deeply disturbed by what they see. Turns out, our little troupe are more than a little bit disturbed themselves. Clearly, Jacopetti and Prosperi (real-life documentary auteurs behind the "Africa Addio" films) were the inspiration for our "protagonists". As much as Jacopetti and Prosperi were accused of "setting up" many of their filmed atrocities, there can be no simple accusations for these four folks...they are all guilty, in one way or another, of everything that their real-life counterparts were accused of perpetrating. From the rape of an innocent indio girl (who is super-realistically impaled on a nine-foot stake by her native brethren as punishment for her "adultery"...and is then gawkily filmed by our "heroes"), to the staging of brutal violence against animals for the sake of "the film", to the continuous exploitation and degradation of the natives they are supposedly "researching", these guys truly have "it" coming.
...and get "it" they will...
Perhaps it goes without saying that things get pretty rough from there on out, but hey...you were warned, weren't you? This is a "Third-World Cannibal" (as Steve Bissette would call it) movie through and through, and viewers seeking graphic gore, savage sexual attacks, and general nastiness of the extreme variety won't be let down, as "Holocaust" really delivers the groceries. Unfortunately, unlike so many other films in this millieu, there isn't really anything entertaining about how it's all presented here...even Mondo 'n' Meat Movies like Lenzi's "Cannibal Ferox" (aka "Make them Die Slowly") are so silly and quirky that it's almost (but not quite) like watching a "horror-comedy" or something. You won't get funny John-Morghen moments here, boys and girls. You won't get unintentionally hilarious subplots involving missing boyfriends and private detectives. You'll get no comfy reprisals on this outing, kiddies, so buckle up, and bring your anti-depressants!
But there's more here than brutal rapes and killings...oh boy, is there more! Perhaps most offensive of all is the typical inclusion of viscious animal slaughter and torture scenes. Auteur Deodato has said time and time again that the animal violence in "Holocaust" is present to underscore the visciousness commited on humans...to bring a sense of reality to the proceedings and also to provide some sort of social-consciousness or context to the violence. I don't know about that whole "social commentary" thing...that's certainly arguable. However, seeing furry little animals ripped apart certainly adds a gruesome and realistic cinematic exclamation point. Personally, I have watched this film like a dozen times, maybe, and each successive time, I find myself "fast forwarding" through those parts. It's simply too much to bear. Call me a wuss or whatever...but if you get off on watching animals get slaughtered for the sake of "art", then you probably need to seek professional help...but maybe that's just my opinion. All that aside, this is a harrowing, graphic, and amazingly effective film, without even a hint of true "pretention" (although I can certainly see how some viewers/reviewers have gotten that out of "Cannibal Holocaust").
The creators of many "cannibal" films have tried (without success) to defend their works by attempting to add more social significance to the protrayal of graphic violence than really exists. The vast majority of those directors, it's easy enough to see, are full of shit...their films are works of seedy exploitation (is there any other kind?), plain and simple. However, with "Cannibal Holocaust", Deodato has succeeded in the unthinkable...he has made a film that is simultaneously everything it's accused of being (exploitative, misogynistic, vulgar, graphic, sleazy) and everything that he's claimed it be (deep social commentary, remonstration of violence in society), and in so doing, has created a film that is a harrowing, horrifying, and deadly serious cinematic experience.
Over the last 10 years or so, I have personally seen about a half dozen versions of this movie, in various formats, and to various degrees of "completeness". I think I speak safely when I say that this EC Entertainment release is without a doubt the most complete and best-presented version of "Cannibal Holocaust" that you're likely to find. So far as I can judge; through fact-checking, source to source comparisons, and extensive research, this disc contains the completely uncut, un-edited, unexpurgated version of Deodato's magnum opus. As such, it's at least twice as disturbing and graphic as anything you're likely to see. But again...I can't stress this point enough..."Cannibal Holocaust" is not an "entertainment". Though it is blessed with very good (and realistic) documentary style cinematography, uniformly excellent performances, above average effects work, and good pacing, the final analysis is that watching "Cannibal Holocaust" is as close as most people will ever have to getting skull-fucked.
Highly recommended (with the aforementioned caveats).
"Cannibal Holocaust" has always been, on some level, kind of the "holy grail" for seekers of the most extreme of Extreme Horror Cinema. Nowadays, that reputation still stands, if a bit softened by time. Still, as arguably the most hated/reviled film in the world, and definitely one of the most-banned, Ruggero Deodato's "Cannibal Holocaust", no matter how you look at it, is one sick fuck of a movie. Much has been made of this film's influence on the "pseudo-documentary" genre, most notably "The Blair Witch Project" and "The Last Broadcast". All I can say is, yes, there are some similarities, but there is a big honkin' caveat here: if you go into "Cannibal Holocaust" expecting the more subdued (and decidedly bloodless) chills of "Blair Witch", then you're going to be in for a BIG, nasty, offensive surprise. You think I'm kidding, Mr. "I've seen it all"? I mean it. You've been warned...
