Ruggero Deodato's repulsive masterpiece in horror is probably the most controversial horror film in existence. I've heard and read about it for about five years before finally sitting down and watching the uncut version; the delay was through my own fear of not having a strong enough stomach to be able to sit through the endless scenes of barbarity and sadism. The film strongly divides audiences and I too am divided in my opinion of it; as a piece of "entertainment" it doesn't work at all, because the downbeat nature of the narrative and the graphic gore can hardly be enjoyed. But then the film must work as a "horror" film, a true "horror" film that can evoke feelings of anger, disgust, even sickness and fear. Undoubtedly the novel filming methods (after the deliberately slow pacing of the initial set-up, the latter half of the movie becomes a mock documentary as in THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, and just as horrifying) make it the best of its bunch and the most effective of them all. It's the only cannibal film that comes close to resembling a mondo movie, and the final events involving the student film-makers are truly and horribly believable. The only way to watch this film is to live the lie, and the result is a challenging and disturbing but somehow rewarding viewing experience.
The movie is professionally made in that the filming seems unprofessional, lacking gloss and shine, and therefore more realistic; the various expeditions into the jungle simply convey the humid atmosphere, the constant danger from deadly wildlife and hidden tribes. The first half of the film is slowly paced and gradually builds up to the horror, with glimpses at a maggoty skeleton (the camera zooms into the grub-infested eye sockets of the rotting skull) and a tribal rape which is effectively powerful stuff. However, in comparison to the last half an hour, this is child's play. The supposedly real video footage shot by the students is harrowing and disturbing, but doesn't engage the senses as much as one might think - mainly because the students themselves are far worse than the cannibal tribes they seek! Their actions are a catalogue of torture, rape and even worse, as they impale an innocent girl on a spike (a painfully realistic - but simple - special effect) and burn down a whole native village for the hell of it, actions which of course act as a catalyst for the ugly conclusion.
Every five minutes something pops up which is likely to offend or shock a viewer somewhere, whether it be graphic moments of sexual violence (possibly the hardest parts of the film to sit through, or at least the most uncomfortable) or cheap but realistic gore effects of people having their legs sliced off and the like. The cannibal antics of the finale are the most powerful part of the film, as the film-makers keep on shooting for the love of their documentary. This is as horrible as the film gets and will have most viewers breaking out in a cold sweat. Blurring the border between fantasy and reality, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST includes a segment of real news footage showing Africans getting burnt and shot which is very hard to watch.
Harder still to stomach are the scenes of animal cruelty (the bane of this particular genre). Nobody can enjoy watching such scenes but they do add considerably to the film's false reputation of being a "snuff" movie and their inclusion adds to the powerful impact that the film has on viewers.
Production-wise, the quality is top-notch. Director Ruggero Deodato proves himself at the pinnacle of his career and directs the film he will be remembered for forever. The camera-work is authentic and the acting works, especially in the case of the student film-makers who fill out their roles very well indeed. Much-needed light relief comes from Robert Kerman (EATEN ALIVE) as the pipe-smoking Professor Monroe, who acts as the audience in viewing the discovered footage, and who gets to utter the immortal line "I wonder who the REAL cannibals are?" at the film's conclusion. The most effective aspect of the film is undoubtedly Riz Ortolani's emotive score, which really adds to the overall impact that the film has. It's frankly brilliant. Like it or hate it, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is a film with a lasting reputation and I personally think it's an original and deeply disturbing slice of (almost) real-life horror. It's a wonderful exploration of the media's obsession with violence and the lengths to which they'll go to exploit it and in this sense it's like the '80s version of the controversial thriller NATURAL BORN KILLERS.
The movie is professionally made in that the filming seems unprofessional, lacking gloss and shine, and therefore more realistic; the various expeditions into the jungle simply convey the humid atmosphere, the constant danger from deadly wildlife and hidden tribes. The first half of the film is slowly paced and gradually builds up to the horror, with glimpses at a maggoty skeleton (the camera zooms into the grub-infested eye sockets of the rotting skull) and a tribal rape which is effectively powerful stuff. However, in comparison to the last half an hour, this is child's play. The supposedly real video footage shot by the students is harrowing and disturbing, but doesn't engage the senses as much as one might think - mainly because the students themselves are far worse than the cannibal tribes they seek! Their actions are a catalogue of torture, rape and even worse, as they impale an innocent girl on a spike (a painfully realistic - but simple - special effect) and burn down a whole native village for the hell of it, actions which of course act as a catalyst for the ugly conclusion.
Every five minutes something pops up which is likely to offend or shock a viewer somewhere, whether it be graphic moments of sexual violence (possibly the hardest parts of the film to sit through, or at least the most uncomfortable) or cheap but realistic gore effects of people having their legs sliced off and the like. The cannibal antics of the finale are the most powerful part of the film, as the film-makers keep on shooting for the love of their documentary. This is as horrible as the film gets and will have most viewers breaking out in a cold sweat. Blurring the border between fantasy and reality, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST includes a segment of real news footage showing Africans getting burnt and shot which is very hard to watch.
Harder still to stomach are the scenes of animal cruelty (the bane of this particular genre). Nobody can enjoy watching such scenes but they do add considerably to the film's false reputation of being a "snuff" movie and their inclusion adds to the powerful impact that the film has on viewers.
Production-wise, the quality is top-notch. Director Ruggero Deodato proves himself at the pinnacle of his career and directs the film he will be remembered for forever. The camera-work is authentic and the acting works, especially in the case of the student film-makers who fill out their roles very well indeed. Much-needed light relief comes from Robert Kerman (EATEN ALIVE) as the pipe-smoking Professor Monroe, who acts as the audience in viewing the discovered footage, and who gets to utter the immortal line "I wonder who the REAL cannibals are?" at the film's conclusion. The most effective aspect of the film is undoubtedly Riz Ortolani's emotive score, which really adds to the overall impact that the film has. It's frankly brilliant. Like it or hate it, CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST is a film with a lasting reputation and I personally think it's an original and deeply disturbing slice of (almost) real-life horror. It's a wonderful exploration of the media's obsession with violence and the lengths to which they'll go to exploit it and in this sense it's like the '80s version of the controversial thriller NATURAL BORN KILLERS.