I suppose at the time it was shocking but the gore and violence is so cheesy. This movie continually shows up on lists of the most graphic and/or disturbing movies but it's so weak. I can understand people being upset with the animal killings but if you've ever hunted you are familiar with that reality.
shareI wonder if something that begins as controversial will ever be accepted as anything but. I suppose you can get desensitized to whatever it is that is so controversial, but I doubt something like this film will be accepted.
I didn't care for the slaughter of the animals, but it certainly wasn't anything I hadn't seen before. I recall seeing Faces of Death in HS and being little offended at the well-to-do toes tapping in a monkey's head in order to tenderize and access the brain (a delicacy from wherever that was). This had a different feel... More survival/way of life stuff.
The tribes were pretty savage, but as compared to what other tribes or civilized cultures?
The real darkness was found in the film crew who sought to exploit a way of life that was taboo, not understood, etc. When it wasn't as dark or evil, the crew embodied evil.
I liked the subtlety when they admired their work with the girl on the spike and the one guy had to be reminded that the camera was rolling... Smirk dropped and there was shock expressed.
I think for its time the grotesqueness and effects were well done.
I think it lost a little darkness when the crew was killed, raped (not sure why this would happen), and eaten, because it felt justified due to the crews actions.