Mr. Cannibal, Meet Mr. Holocaust

by Benni Pierce

When someone hears the words "Cannibal" or "Holocaust," he or she generally grows very uneasy at the very grotesque thought of either concept. Following this logic, it would make sense to say that combining these two buzz words into the phrase "Cannibal Holocaust" would illicit horrible emotional reactions out of the populous, much worse than either single word on its own. Governments around the world would most definitely ban these two words if ever placed together in public. Free speech would be forgotten in an event to quell chaos.

Alas, this unsaid rule remained untested until 1979 when the film Cannibal Holocaust made its first big screen debut. What would the reaction be? How would the world handle such a beast as Cannibal Holocaust?

I had the fortunate chance of seeing this film on Friday, May 30th, 2003, at the Sunshine Cinemas in New York City. If that wasn't cool enough, it was a midnight screening. At first, I was more worried about the kind of people who would attend such an event than the movie itself, but then I realized that I would be there and most likely, more like me. But for some reason, that only made me more worried than before.

When I arrived at the auditorium, it was about 40% filled - I'd say, maybe 150 people in attendance. It was already a more impressive turnout than I thought this movie (with such a horrific title as "Cannibal Holocaust") would foster on a Friday night in the Big Apple. It seemed like minutes passed before the house lights began to fade.

Midnight was upon us like the moment before you're ripped into the center of a black hole. I couldn't move. I didn't know what to expect. I had already done much research on this movie (including a pre-review for this website - see last month), but nothing could prepare me. When everything you read tells you that this is one of the most grotesque and viscous movies of all time, you tend to be still at the moment of its coming, almost out of respect.

That moment didn't last long, however, as certain members of the audience began to laugh instantly. In fact, laughter continued throughout the totality of the film. At first, I thought they must be criminally insane. But as I watched the movie unfold around me, I realized that laughing was really just the best medicine.

Cannibal Holocaust presents some very intriguing themes in its 95-minute adventure from the Green Inferno of South America to the Silver Spires of New York City. When broken down into their basic essences, these themes served as a solid backbone for a creature with no meat The acting was ridiculous, the synthesized music was appalling, and sometimes, it really didn't even seem like they were trying. And without the meat, there was very little to sink your teeth into; however, the bones have left a taste in my mouth that I still can't figure out.

From the beginning of the film, Cannibal Holocaust makes you question everything you're seeing. At one point, the audience is shown footage of actual executions - firing squads to be exact. And then, after seeing these brutal acts of violence, we are told that they were "faked" by the filmmakers - the same four filmmakers who are heading into the jungle to look for and film actual cannibals. Immediately, you begin to wonder if what you saw was indeed fake. But it seems so undoubtedly real that they wouldn't pull your leg … or would they?

As the film progresses, you do see everything I remarked upon before: at least 3 animal deaths, 2 brutal rape scenes, a bloody abortion, a castration, and other acts of cruelty and violence. Each time you see these scenes, you're wondering, "Is it real?" The acting is awful and the music makes it corny, but what if they weren't acting? What if what we are watching was their actual reactions? The acting is awful and the music makes it corny, but what if they werenšt acting? What if what we are watching was their actual reactions? We donšt really know how these filmmakers (or anyone for that matter) would react when they finally snapped and shot their guns at the natives for no real reason other than to prove dominance over them. These gonzo filmmakers were filming in the late '70s, outside of their home country, in a jungle where morals donšt really apply. So wherešs the line? Where does the imaginary line exist between reality and production?

Less fascinating but still no less a theme to the film are the underlying overtones of imperialism and power. The filmmakers who go to the jungle begin to lose themselves, ala "Lord of the Flies," and begin to terrorize the natives. One scene depicts the filmmakers hurding one group of villagers into a grass hut, and then setting it on fire. Then, the director of the group and his girlfriend proceed to have sex on the bed of ashes after the fire is gone while the remaining villagers watch in horror.

This overall theme would have been even more powerful had there not been a voiceover at the end of the movie stating, "I wonder who the real cannibals are…" It was too heavy-handed and pretty much blew any subtlety that may have been present. In fact, it makes you laugh at the absurdity of such a statement, and you leave the movie wondering why you saw it.

In conclusion, Cannibal Holocaust didn't quite live up to its hype. However, I am still very happy I saw it. It does retain a place in cinematic history as having some of the most gruesome animal deaths on screen. One of them depicts the death of a turtle. They pull it from the water, chop off its head, then its limbs, then they crack open the shell and play with its innards before finally roasting it to consume its flesh. The irony is that it's the filmmakers who kill it, not the natives. Two other deaths seen on the screen are also inexcusably real: 1) the death of what looks to be a muskrat or small land rodent - stabbed in the neck with a dagger to drain its blood for the evening's meal, and 2) a shotgun blast to a pig's head, tied up to be the dinner of the tribe. Quite surreal, though I seem to be more affected since I didn't grow up on a farm or watching the Discovery Channel.

Cannibal Holocaust isn't a whole lot of fun, but it offers just enough to make it worth watching once - but just once. I believe the lack of "cannibals" and "holocaust" in the film may have played a role in my final decision. I was hoping to see a movie filled with cannibals devouring human flesh left and right, leaving nothing alive. Instead, I found a film that attempted to make a statement about human nature, power, and voyeurism and cannibals just so happened to be the topic that the director felt would be the best suited for this purpose. Maybe he sees a different vision than I, but when I look back on this film, the titles "Lord of the Flies 2" or "Animal Holocaust" come to mind instead of its actual title.

I hope that one day, a film will come along that lives up to the title of "Cannibal Holocaust." Because on that day, the world will tremble with fear.

--released on the Great Hoboes of New York on June 24, 2003