Cannibal Holocaust
The controversial exploitation movie Cannibal Holocaust from 1980 was the brainchild of Gianfranco Clerici and Giorgio Stegani, under the direction of Ruggero Deodato.
The movie examines the lengths that one will go to for promised fame and fortune, and the inevitable consequences of a battle between good and evil, though exactly who is good and who is evil is sufficiently blurred.
Much of the controversy around the movie surrounds a famous scene in which a large turtle is butchered on camera. Many condemn this as animal cruelty for the purpose of mere sensationalism, and it has even been called "animal torture." This is a dubious claim, however, since even a cursory examination of the film reveals that the turtle was killed within the first few seconds of its capture.
A realistic-appearing death depicted in the movie caused a court to summon Deodato and demand proof that the actor had not in fact been killed.
Cast
- Robert Kerman as Professor Harold Monroe
- Francesca Ciardi as Faye Daniels
- Perry Pirkanen as Jack Anders
- Luca Barbareschi as Mark Tomaso
- Salvatore Basile as Felipe
- Ricardo Fuentes as Chaco
- Gabriel Yorke as Alan Yates
- Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.
The movie is split into two main parts - Professor Harold Monroe's trip into the jungle in search of the explorers, and then the reviewing of films that he recovered (shown mostly from the cameras angle).
When a group of young adventurers fails to return on time from the "Green Inferno", a particularly gruesome area of the Amazon Rainforest, a world renowned anthropologist is sent in search of them. To his utter disgust, he finds that the cannibals living within the jungle have taken it upon themselves to eat the adventurers.
He returns to New York with their camera footage, and upon reviewing it he finds that the foursome committed their fair share of violent and malevolent deeds whilst in the forest.
