Review of Cannibal Holocaust by Misshapen_Steed

This film is genuinely shocking. The level of violence leveled against the animals in Cannibal Holocaust is beyond anything I've seen before. I'm sure there's worse out there, but holy shit. They torture some of the animals in this movie, and it is upsetting.

I wanted this movie to win me over with its supposed social commentary on matters such as sensational media and filmmakers like Gualtiero Jacopetti, who exploited indigenous people. But it's hard for that message to feel sincere in any way when the racistly depicted native people in Cannibal Holocaust were very clearly put in dangerous situations. Not to mention Ruggero Deodato apparently saying he merely wanted to make a movie about cannibals and nothing more.

There are redeeming qualities to this film. The music is wonderful, and there's some great gore (with the real animal deaths, one begins to wonder if the human violence is genuine). The pioneering of the found footage format is also pretty cool.

But between the very cruel killings of real animals, the exploitation of native peoples, and the endless sexual violence...I find this film despicable. It felt hateful. I would give it a half star if it wasn't for the few things I mentioned.

Cannibal Holocaust lives up to its mythic status as a brutal, disturbing movie. It is effective in what it wants to do (or maybe not, ideologically), but the filmmaking tactics at work here are gross and unjustifiable.