Cannibal Holocaust (Ruggero Deodato, Italy, 1980)

Before going further it is right to warn that film is extremely nasty and goes very far in portraying highly graphic (incl. sexual) violence and there are scenes of actual animal killings.

This is possibly the only in a long series of Italian cannibalism films that has dated well. It's also the only one that could be called a classic because apart from being the brutal exploitation it certainly is, it actually has a poignant and important message, the relevance of which has become considerably more vital now than when it was made.

On the surface the film may not look al that impressive. The acting (and dubbing) can charitably be called acceptable and nothing more, the plot is ridiculous and the subject matter is suspect. But the gruesome effects are skillfully done, the score is amazing and the message is the key to appreciate the film.

The actual subject of Cannibal Holocaust is the media and how it seems more and more interested in disasters and shocking footage than real news or real life in general. Now, when variably real reality shows dominate television, this becomes moree important. One can't help but question the methods of getting news and documentary footage after viewing the film.

The director tries to involve the viewer in this thought process but due to pressures from the producers he was forced to put more emphasis on the violence than the message and the rather questionable title of the film is their invention, not the director's.

Kinofíll hopes that the viewer takes with him more of the message than the massacre after viewing this film, despite the constant barrage of shocking images.