That between cannibals and spaghetti was a winning combination in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Much has been said and written about it, often out of hand and frequently only on weak bases of support. The fact remains that the genre has attracted much acclaim, as well as several bureaucratic attacks from law enforcers. The typical cliché of the cannibalistic genre is as follows: wild setting, found in tropical jungles; indigenous tribes with primitive attitudes, far from contact with civilization; documentary inserts with animal fights, often in dubious taste. In the dock ended up directors and producers, guilty of purposely (according to the authorities) creating physical harm to people or animals in favor of entertainment. Proof of this is that some titles were placed under seizure and had to undergo heavy editing cuts, especially in Latin American countries and Italy, before being shown in a movie theater. Indeed, most of the proposed scripts are replete with gratuitous violence; at that time there was still no law protecting the physical integrity of animals in the film industry, so they were often forced to suffer torture to the point of death. Another element of discord is the alleged abuse inflicted on the indigenous people featured in the various stories; the accusations, completely unfounded, made against the technicians were the possible mistreatment shown on video.
In fact, what often led to the fallacy were the advertising campaigns launching the films, the so-called trailers, which boasted scenes shot in the world's various wilderness environments as authentic. The authors' overriding purpose was to emphasize the substantial differences between the progress of Western civilization, with its pomp and (fake) manners, and the customs of the natives, who were forced to live (but only physically) as Neanderthals. What emerges is the image of the maladjusted white man in an unspoiled wilderness, unable to resist the dangers of nature because he is addicted to technological comforts. The figure of the native, accustomed to customs and practices perhaps cruel, but considered necessary in the sphere of his own beliefs, is reevaluated.
After all, it is "homo technologicus" who is the architect of the territorial invasion, using violence toward everything he cannot accept...
The cannibal-movie takes its cue from another and better-known genre, which experienced its heyday between the mid-1960s and the late 1970s, namely world-movies (or shockumentaries, as they are often called). Made famous by Italian directors such as Jacopetti, Prosperi and Climati, showed scenes shot in wild environments unfamiliar to the evolved civilization of Western man. It was not difficult to observe tribes settled in primitive environments, with customs and habits completely different from our own.
It was under this principle, that is, to show the raw side of Third World civilizations, that the first cannibalistic film was born in 1972: The Land Of Wild Sex by Umberto Lenzi. It is the story of a journalist in Bangkok who accidentally kills a man in a fight. To escape the long hand of justice, he is forced to hide in the Thai jungle. He ends up in the clutches of an indigenous tribe, who in order to accept him among them subject him to rather atypical and cruel initiation trials. But eventually he will be inducted as a permanent member of the community, where he will also find the mate of a lifetime. He will lead his new people into a tough battle against a rival tribe that practices cannibalism.
In addition to the usual ingredients, Lenzi wanted to unabashedly pay homage to another story, which at that very time aroused public interest, viz. A Man Called Horse. Among the protagonists we find a very good Ivan Rassimov and the beautiful Me Me Lai, a decisive actress in the cannibal-movie genre. The locations are precisely those in Thailand, just to stay true to the narrative.
Five years would pass before the second cannibalistic work would be realized. It will be the much-discussed Ruggero Deodato to sign the direction of Last Cannibal World, first of two films that will make him loved/hated by many fans and accosted detractors. It is the story of some oil company workers sent to the island of Mindanao to replace some colleagues. But when they arrive they will find everyone dead, killed by an indigenous tribe that practices cannibalism. Of the group is captured Massimo Foschi, who will be forced to live imprisoned and humiliated by a savage people. Thanks to the sympathies of a woman from the tribe (Me Me Lai), manages to escape and join the last survivor of the company (Ivan Rassimov). But escaping through the jungle will be arduous, with the natives knowing better than anyone the pitfalls of nature...
Deodato chose Malaysia as the set in which to set the scene. The film succeeded quite well, despite some plot holes and fairly predictable dialogue. The early elements that characterize the cannibalistic genre are present, not yet magnified or emphasized as in later films. The Roman director shows some experience behind the camera; he does not bore and keeps the viewer waiting for the next scene.
In the same year, the good Joe D'Amato with its Emanuelle and the Last Cannibals, the fourth or fifth film about the exploits of a black journalist played by Laura Gemser. The reporter this time finds herself in an asylum, in disguise, to observe firsthand how the mentally ill are treated. She is shocked when she observes a patient biting a nurse's breast to death. She discovers that her trauma stems from her encounter with some indigenous residents of the Amazon and seeks to learn more. Tempted by the journalistic scoop, she organizes an expedition together with an ethnologist (Gabriele Tinti), which will help her understand local customs. But the adventure will turn to tragedy when she and other members of the expedition make the acquaintance of the savages.
Also Aristide Massaccesi (director's real name) is tempted by the possibility of lavish earnings with the cannibal-movie. Following in the footsteps left by his predecessors, he packs a fairly successful product, to which he adds his indelible trademark (eros). It is precisely the combination of these two elements that is the substantial novelty, with the presence of some disturbing actresses such as the aforementioned Gemser (of Indonesian origin), the expert Susan Scott (a.k.a. Nieves Navarro) and the young Monica Zanchi. Perhaps the too many erotic sequences break the rhythm of the story, boring the viewer a bit; but the presence of rather successful splatter special effects lift its fortunes.
It's 1978, and it's the turn of Sergio Martino, which makes an adventurous with horror/anthropophagic overtones: The Mountain Of The Cannibal God. A wealthy woman, played by the comely Ursula Andress, organizes an expedition to search for her husband, an anthropological scholar, who disappeared without trace in New Guinea. From the components she learns that her husband's objective was to search for a strand of uranium, near a mountain considered sacred by some indigenous people. During the journey, punctuated by dangers of all kinds, they will come into contact with the tribe that dominates the territory. Some will perish, while the survivors are taken prisoner. The woman discovers that her husband was already long deceased and worshipped by the savages, who considered him a god.
In this new chapter, the story takes on decidedly more adventurous connotations, typical of Martin (author of an adventure/horror trilogy, of which the following are part. The Island Of Fish Men and The River Of The Great Caiman). The ecological component is addressed without too much veil, a clear message to Greenpeace-style nature associations. The story is intriguing, well acted and shot, with good use of splatter effects. The cast includes, in addition to the blond Swiss Andress, also a good Claudio Cassinelli (featured in numerous Italian genre films) and American Stacy Keach. Although the cannibalistic subject matter is not emphasized as in previous ones, the film is highly enjoyable, worthy of being part of a fan's video library.
In '79 the landmark film of the genre was released; the title that more than any other generated acclaim and criticism, earning it a reputation as cursed. The director is once again Ruggero Deodato and the name is Cannibal Holocaust.
It tells of four young documentary filmmakers who have been missing in the Amazon rainforest for about a year. On their trail comes a famous anthropologist (Robert Kerman), funded by a well-known American TV station, to learn their fate. After many vicissitudes and dangerous encounters, he succeeds in reaching his goal, but what he finds are a pile of bones stripped by time and men. He retrieves the footage shot by the boys and takes it to New York, where it is edited. What the professor and TV executives observe is a series of heinous and nefarious crimes committed by the four, with the sole intent of achieving international fame and glory. But they had not reckoned with the reaction of nature, in the form of the indigenous tribe, taking its revenge from the white man's abuse.
Performed by four young and unknown actors, retrieved from Deodato in an acting school, it has become a genuine cult-movie in the entire film scene. Of course, criticism rained down because of the gratuitous killing of animals; some judges decreed its seizure because of the supposed real violence against the natives. It was very difficult for the production to release the material and offer it, after cuts in editing, in theaters. If we set aside these problems, the film is really well shot, with an excellent choice of setting (an isolated village in the Colombian Amazon rainforest) and a well thought-out soundtrack by Riz Ortolani. Of course, splatter effects are wasted in such a context....
One more year and in 1980 the second title made by Umberto Lenzi, Eaten Alive! Compared with the previous The Land Of Wild Sex, spices up the story with very well-crafted splatter and gore elements, which really give the idea of the drama of the situation.
A woman (Janet Agren) goes in search of his missing sister in New Guinea. With the help of an American ex-Marine, he manages to track her down: she is part of a religious community, led by a wicked Reverend Jonas. In fact, his creed is the redemption of sins through physical suffering; those who join cannot leave--at least alive....
The story takes its cue from a real news story, namely the Guyana massacre by the insane Reverend Jones (he convinced hundreds of cult followers to commit suicide). Along with the chronicle, he adds cannibalism by exploiting the rivalry between an indigenous tribe and the community that leads to several victims. As already mentioned, unforgettable is the final scene in which the poor Paola Senatore and the ever-present Me Me Lai Are tortured and cooked. Present in the cast are two other sacred icons such as. Robert Kerman and Ivan Rassimov (the masterful Rev. Jonas).
Also in 1980, a strange mix of anthropophagy, war, and detective story was released in theaters, Apocalypse Tomorrow directed by Anthony Dawson (Antonio Margheriti).
Some Vietnam War veterans return home, with the obvious difficulties of reintegrating into the society that does not accept them willingly. But they also bring with them a strange disease, which compels them to assault people and bite them to death. Through memories, it turns out that they were prisoners in a Vietcong camp and witnessed anthropophagic practices, to which they themselves were forced. Eventually the police will prevail, but the contagion seems far from eradicated....
The title obviously winks at the much more famous Apocalypse Now by Coppola, but distances himself from it in the plot. Rather than dwelling on the psychological elements of the characters, Dawson leans toward the rawness of the images without overdoing the splatter effects. A good John Lombardo Radice, known to fans of genre cinema, makes the character of the misfit and victim of circumstances very well; the participation of John Saxon It lends a tone of professionalism to the story.
It is a title that can be seen without excessive enthusiastic outbursts, simply pointing out the inconsistencies of our society, which is good at finding new technological solutions and incapable of addressing social issues.
Joe D'Amato reappears in the cannibal-movie world with a title halfway to gothic horror: Anthropophagus.
Some tourists travel to a Greek island. Upon arriving there, they find the local village deserted, without even the shadow of a dog. They set out in search of some inhabitants, but find only a blind girl in shock. She apparently witnessed an attack by a deranged man and miraculously escaped alive. The killer begins his work of massacre against the newcomers....
The story relies almost exclusively on the monster, played by a very good George Eastman (Luigi Montefiori), and on the spasmodic anticipation of his next move. The setting is vaguely gothic and reminiscent of certain Lovecraftian atmospheres, playing on the suddenly assaulting feelings of dread. There is no shortage of knockout scenes, for example when Eastman capture Veronica Steiger (aka. Serena Grandi), rips out her fetus and eats it. Or the last scene, when now defeated Eastman eats his own guts. The cannibalism part is accentuated by the antecedents that led to the Eastman to turn into a ravenous killer. During a shipwreck, he was forced to feed on the flesh of his wife and small son in order to survive; because of this traumatic episode, he became a devourer of human flesh. A truly apt film and one that stirred much controversy among the usual puritans, in connection with the famous fetus scene and censored in many countries.
In 81 Lenzi directs his third and final cannibal-movie, viz. Cannibal Ferox. An American student is close to graduating with a degree in anthropology; she misses her final thesis and decides to devote it to anthropophagy. Together with her brother and a friend, she travels to the Amazon to check for a human flesh-eating tribe. Instead, they meet two compatriots, engaged in drug trafficking and theft, who were in the area attracted by the presence of precious gems along the river. Together they arrive at the indigenous village, which is devoid of men; only women, children and a few old men are present. The behavior of the two mercenaries makes the student and her brother suspicious. From the tale of one of them, they will discover the bitter truth: under the effects of cocaine, they had tortured and killed some of the villagers, and now the warriors are hot on their trail. Revenge will be tremendous when the savages finally succeed in capturing the group.
Honest work by the Tuscan director, who crafts a title that is really tough for those impressed by gore scenes.
The special effects are really borderline sustainable, with the famous scene of Zora Kerova Hanging by their breasts from butcher's hooks. Still present John Lombardo Radice (under the pseudonym of John Morghen) in the part of the deranged drug dealer, who provokes the violent reaction of the natives. Again, the sociological message is emphasized: the "civilized" white man has barbaric behaviors, while the weak "savage" indigenous man must defend himself from the harassment he suffers.
One has to wait three years, until 1984, before finding a title relevant to the topic at hand. Michael Lemick (Michele Massimo Tarantini) realizes realizes Naked and Wild, in some countries better known as Cannibal Ferox II. A tourist plane crashes in the Amazon rainforest; the survivors try to find their way to a population center, but they will face dangers of all kinds: dangerous animals, the pitfalls of the jungle, and a particularly aggressive tribe. The escapees will then have to deal with some mercenary gold diggers, who will hold them captive for fear that they will reveal their location. Eventually some will be saved, but the toll to pay has been high.
Aside from the usual extremely trite dialogue, the film lets itself be seen with its intense pace and the variety of situations presented (from ferocious beasts, to savages, to mercenaries). Actually, anthropophagy has very little to do with the screenplay and the references to the film by Lenzi are limited to the presence of unscrupulous men seeking wealth. Tarantini is best known as a director of sexy comedies, but he shows that he doesn't do too badly in the adventure genre either. Of note only is the presence of Michael Sopkiw, American actor who starred in numerous 1980s Italian films.
The following year, 1985, the last Italian film on the cannibalistic genre was released in theaters; it was directed by Roy Garrett (Mario Gariazzo) and is entitled White Slaves, Violence In Amazonia..
During a river trip, a girl (Elvire Audray) witnesses the murder of her parents by poison-soaked arrows shot by some natives. The young girl will be taken prisoner and led as a slave to the tribe's camp. It is through the interest of a young and dashing warrior from the village, to whom the girl feels attraction, that her life becomes decent again. Little by little she is able to appreciate the local customs and traditions, and what seemed like a wild life takes on a very different aspect. But fate turns the tables when her man is killed and she learns the truth about her parents' murder....
Another story in which the presence of cannibals is more euphemistic than the title might suggest. In some respects it could be approached as an adventurous-sentimental (with the love story between the erudite Westerner and the primitive savage), but the canonical aspects of the genre are nonetheless present. Gariazzo has craft to spare and succeeds in making a good film, even if the splatter and gore are not present in huge quantities.
With this film, the phenomenon of the tricolor cannibal-movie ideally comes to a close; a genre that has aroused much controversy, attracted much criticism and made quite a few enemies, both at the level of associations protecting this and that judiciary.
However one wants to read it, it cannot be denied that anthropophagic cinema contributed to the development and growth of splatter, with even quite daring gore solutions. The contrast between progressive civilization and the primitivism of forest peoples opened a new perspective in the viewer's consciousness: who really is the savage?
While waiting for the answer, let us hope that some nostalgic filmmaker still has the desire to thrill us with a revival on the genre...
Special edited by Maxena
