Friday, October 11, 2013

Cannibal Holocaust Essay by Gina Mink

Sup Reaps, Eric here. Gina Mink is the latest entrant into the Cannibal Holocaust essay contest. Thank you for all those who've participated in this extraordinary competition.



Like or not, ruggero deodato's "cannibal holocaust" paved the way for future horror cinema.  with its use of "found footage", it paved the way for countless other films to follow, such as "blair witch project", the entire "paranormal activity" series, and virtually every third film released today.  films generally considered "torture porn", such as the "saw" franchise, would not be possible without the realistic cinematic gore that deodato's film depicted. few films, even on the "video nasties" list, have provoked the controversy that "cannibal holocaust" has.  using real indigenous tribes as "actors",  and live animals in slaughter scenes, the controversy surrounding the film's release has been almost unmatched.  this, coupled with the realistic feel of the actual footage, let viewers believe that what they were watching had actually happened. 

beyond the graphic violence, "cannibal holocaust" proved in itself to be a damning social commentary, depicting how the "civilized" world will exploit the "uncivilized" to their own advantage, be it for fortune or fame.  

in a time of graphic violence being almost a given in the horror genre, it's surprising to find that this film is still banned in some countries.  while all the killing of humans was proven to be faked, it cannot escape the stigma of the violence against animals (despite there being many movies since that have done similar things for the sake of the story).  

i think, ultimately, ruggero deodato should be commended for his film.  the genre itself would not be where it is today without his groundbreaking movie making.

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