It May Actually Get To The Line Between "Here" And "Too Far"
Cannibal Holocaust was a film that nagged me for the better part of the past 3 years. Maybe longer even. From a strictly horror/gore perspective, it begged to be seen by the title alone. However, since I like to do some reading and populace research on such things, I've battled a conundrum in my head over the film for a long time. Still, it has been a film that had piqued my curiosity for a very long time. Finally, despite my reservations, I viewed it in it's exploitative entirety over a week ago.
Prior to seeing it as a whole, I had seen many clips of the legendary Euro-horror title. Billed as a cross between exploitation splatterfest and mondo-esque mockumentary, Cannibal Holocaust manages to walk a very fine line between the two. After seeing it and taking it all in, I really wanted to take some time to analyze it before talking about it here. In its own way, it is a film that needs time to gestate in one's thought process.
There are really two ways to view Cannibal Holocaust and it can fit into either polarizing point of view. On one hand, it can clearly be seen as total hack schlockery of the highest order. There are moments depicting completely gruesome death images that are almost laughable. The usual suspect of language translation is also questionable.
However, if you are willing to allow your mind to go to a dark place, there is something very disturbing and humbling about Cannibal Holocaust. The most obvious culprit is the sequence of animal killings that have been posited as very much real. Those alone bore the brunt of my initial reservations. Upon viewing them, they are not pretty to watch, nor enjoyable in the least. The film, while exaggerated, makes one begin to question the whole of humanity. It seems to explore a clash of civilizations; one driven by greed and modern devices vs. one ignorant to the world outside their own, driven by pure, natural survival.
Again, this two viewpoints are very much open to debate. Both opposing views are solid points that illustrate possible interpretations of what seems to be a very polarizing film. From my perspective, the movie is surprisingly poignant when examining ethnocentric behavior concerning a modern culture's obsession and subsequent desensitized persona in the face of a grim world beyond their own borders. Even having this view point upon completion, I wonder to myself if I am seeking greater depth in a kiddie pool of depravity.
Prior to witnessing this film, I was beginning to wonder if I was morphing into a black hole of unfeeling and uncaring. I can safely say now that Cannibal Holocaust made me feel something. It made me feel a lot of things. It is a very unique film experience that I liked quite a bit, but I did not enjoy.
Prior to seeing it as a whole, I had seen many clips of the legendary Euro-horror title. Billed as a cross between exploitation splatterfest and mondo-esque mockumentary, Cannibal Holocaust manages to walk a very fine line between the two. After seeing it and taking it all in, I really wanted to take some time to analyze it before talking about it here. In its own way, it is a film that needs time to gestate in one's thought process.
There are really two ways to view Cannibal Holocaust and it can fit into either polarizing point of view. On one hand, it can clearly be seen as total hack schlockery of the highest order. There are moments depicting completely gruesome death images that are almost laughable. The usual suspect of language translation is also questionable.However, if you are willing to allow your mind to go to a dark place, there is something very disturbing and humbling about Cannibal Holocaust. The most obvious culprit is the sequence of animal killings that have been posited as very much real. Those alone bore the brunt of my initial reservations. Upon viewing them, they are not pretty to watch, nor enjoyable in the least. The film, while exaggerated, makes one begin to question the whole of humanity. It seems to explore a clash of civilizations; one driven by greed and modern devices vs. one ignorant to the world outside their own, driven by pure, natural survival.
Again, this two viewpoints are very much open to debate. Both opposing views are solid points that illustrate possible interpretations of what seems to be a very polarizing film. From my perspective, the movie is surprisingly poignant when examining ethnocentric behavior concerning a modern culture's obsession and subsequent desensitized persona in the face of a grim world beyond their own borders. Even having this view point upon completion, I wonder to myself if I am seeking greater depth in a kiddie pool of depravity.
Prior to witnessing this film, I was beginning to wonder if I was morphing into a black hole of unfeeling and uncaring. I can safely say now that Cannibal Holocaust made me feel something. It made me feel a lot of things. It is a very unique film experience that I liked quite a bit, but I did not enjoy.
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