#13 - Cannibal Holocaust (1980)
(dir. Ruggero Deodato)
A group of anthropologists journey into the Amazonian jungle (lovingly nicknamed "The Green Inferno") to study a cannibalistic tribe. When they go missing, another expedition is mounted to follow their trail and rescue them. Along the way, canisters of film shot by the researchers are found that reveal their grisly fate. There are tons of movies that claim to be "the most controversial film ever made", but this is one of the few films that actually deserves that reputation. The violence is gruesome and brutal, and the gore effects are disturbing and very realistic, to the point where the director was actually arrested for murder when the film premiered.
The biggest reason that this film is so controversial, and still banned in many places around the world, is for its cruelty to animals. There are several scenes where animals are actually killed on screen, and they are extremely disturbing - I couldn't even watch them. The director later apologized for and condemned his own actions, but the fact remains that they crossed the line, and most people find it unforgivable. I can't say I disagree. However, I will say that these scenes, however morally reprehensible their creation may have been, have the effect of making the later scenes of simulated violence towards humans feel much more realistic. Does that justify the cruelty? Of course not, but what happened can't be changed, and I don't think that the film should be entirely written off because of it.
Enough about that. Besides the controversy, this movie holds a place in film history for introducing the concept of "found footage". The story of the researchers' journey through the jungle is shown through reels of film that the rescue expedition finds along the way. This works really well here, and is another big factor in why the film seems so realistic. I was actually pretty surprised by how well-made it is in general - if it weren't for the ethical issues, I think this film would be considered a real classic.
This is a highly effective and disturbing horror film, but it crosses a line that should never be crossed again. Despite it's historical importance, it's not something I would want to watch again.
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