Il paese del sesso selvaggio
Encyclopedia
Il paese del sesso selvaggio (1972
), better known as The Man from the Deep River in North America or Deep River Savages in Europe, is an Italian
exploitation film
directed by Umberto Lenzi
. It is perhaps best known for popularizing the cannibal genre
of Italian exploitation cinema during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Lenzi was probably trying to imitate the content of notorious Mondo cinema
, which had gained considerable Grindhouse
popularity since Gualtiero Jacopetti
and Paolo Cavara made Mondo Cane
in 1962
, even though this film is fictional. Like Man from Deep River, Mondo films often focus on exotic customs and locations, graphic violence, and animal cruelty.
The film was mainly inspired by A Man Called Horse, which also featured a white man who is incorporated into a tribe that originally held him captive. The title The Man from the Deep River is even supposed to echo the title of A Man Called Horse.
Bradley starts in Bangkok, taking photos and seeing the sights, until he arrives at a boxing match with a date. His date grows increasingly bored and disgruntled by Bradley's refusal to leave, until she finally walks out on him, which doesn't bother him in the slightest. An unidentified man sees her leave, and presumably upset over the disrespect shown towards the young woman, he follows Bradley to a bar where he confronts him with a knife. After a brief struggle, Bradley manages to turn the weapon against the man and kills him. Even though he killed in self defense, Bradley immediately flees the scene.
The next day, John begins his trip deep into the rain forest. He rents a canoe and a guide to take him down a nearby river. Still fearing that he'll be captured by the authorities, he pays off the man to not mention their encounter. After rowing a ways and taking several wildlife photos, Bradley's guide, Tuan, mentions his concerns about traveling so far down river, which he reports as being dangerous. John agrees to head back after one more day of traveling. John falls asleep, and when he awakes, he finds Tuan dead with an arrow in his throat. Before he has any chance to escape, a native tribe captures him in a net and carries him to their village. The chief, Luhanà, is told that the group has captured a large fish-man. At the village, Bradley is hung in the net from a high pole, where a group of young children hit him with bamboo stalks. While hanging, Bradley witnesses the execution of two war criminals by his captive tribe. The tribe is at war with another, even more primitive tribe of cannibals, the Kuru. Two of the cannibals have their tongues cut off in the village center. Bradley reacts with disgust, labeling the tribe as murderers.
Still in the net and hanging for hours, John notices that he has attracted the attention of Marayå, the beautiful and naked daughter of the chief who takes an immediate fascination with the stranger. She convinces her father that John is not a fish-man, just a man. Luhanà agrees to release Bradley as Marayå's slave. He is forced to stay locked in a shack for hours, where Taima, Marayå's governess, introduces herself. She is a missionary child and can speak English, and tells Bradley that soon he will be released, as Marayå will be married to Karen in ten days. Luhanà interrupts the two and unties Bradley because it is the day of the Feast of the Sun. During the feast, a helicopter flies overhead. Bradley tries to be rescued, but he is subdued by other warriors, who nearly kill him. Marayå intervenes, however, protecting her property. The helicopter gives John hope, and he plans escape, which Taima agrees to eventually help him with.
A month passes, as Bradley grows even more tense. During one day of labor, a building accident kills a young man. Bradley watches the funeral ceremonies and is again shocked by the actions of the natives. During the ceremony, Taima tells Bradley that now is his time to escape. He does, but Karen and a group of warriors chase after him. They corner him at a waterfall, where Bradley kills Karen. Again a helicopter flies by, and again John goes unnoticed. After Karen's death, the tribe decides to incorporate Bradley as one of them. He faces various rituals and tortures until he is finally released and accepted as a warrior, and he uses his knowledge of modern technology and medicine to help the tribe, but, as a result, becomes an enemy of the tribe's witch doctor
. During this time, he and Marayå begin to become fond of each other, until Marayå must choose a new fiancé. Of the tribe's warriors, Marayå chooses John, and the two are married. After the wedding, the two run into the wilderness where Bradley gets naked and has sex with Marayå. This ends up getting Marayå pregnant. During the conception, however, a black butterfly flew over the two lovers, a foreboding of ill fate.
It is now six months after Bradley has been captured, and he has finally accepts his new life with Marayå. However, this is also when the cannibals decide to strike. Two teenagers, a boy and a girl, are ambushed outside of the village by the Kuru. The girl is killed and the boy mortally wounded, but he still is able to inform the others of the attack before he dies. John joins other warriors to eliminate the attack party, and they arrive to see the Kuru party consuming the young woman. The group attacks the cannibals, with John participating in activities he earlier condemned. When Bradley returns, however, he learns that Marayå has fallen ill from the pregnancy and has been stricken blind. John believes the only way to save her is to take her back to civilization for modern medicinal treatment. Taima helps the two escape, but she is caught in doing so has her hand cut off as punishment. Bradley and Marayå are captured and forced to return.
Upon their return, Marayå goes into labor. Again Bradley rejects the witch doctor, sending him away from the ailing Marayå. At this time, the Kuru return to attack the village. They set fire to many huts before John and the other warriors are able to react. In the ensuing and graphic battle, John takes Marayå to safety until the cannibals are fought back and withdraw. As John tries to comfort Marayå's pain, he points out a black butterfly overhead. Marayå then reveals the significance of the butterfly: death. Marayå finally gives birth, and dies shortly after. John wanders aimlessly through the jungle upon his wife's death, only sadly recollecting memories of her. Again a helicopter flies overhead, and after a moment of contemplation, he takes cover with the rest of the tribe, deciding to stay with them, probably for life, to help them rebuild and live against the Kuru and the elements.
" of the 1970s and 1980s did not start until Ruggero Deodato
released his film Last Cannibal World
in 1977, Man from Deep River is seen as either the inspiration or the start of the cannibal genre
, as the combination of the rain forest setting and onscreen cannibalism was not seen until its release (ironically, director Umberto Lenzi
would admit that cannibalism was not intended to be the central theme). When released in America, it would prove successful on Time Square's 42nd Street under the title of Sacrifice!, offering the opportunity for similar films to enjoy that same success (which was ultimately the case). Lenzi was even given the chance to direct Last Cannibal World, but the producers chose Ruggero Deodato
when they refused to match Lenzi's price. He would, however, make a follow up in 1980 with his film Eaten Alive! (which even featured the Grindhouse theaters of 42nd Street
that had made Man from Deep River famous).
, Man from Deep River is also notorious for several scenes of extreme violence and gore, which is standard for its genre. Though several scenes of torture and cruelty are present, its inclusion of several on screen slayings of animals tends to land the film in hot water with censors all over the world.
, films that the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) deemed obscene. Though it was rejected for cinema release and certification by the BBFC in 1975, it was still able to make it to a video release under the title Deep River Savages. When the DPP compiled the "video nasties" in 1983, Deep River Savages made its way onto the list. In 1984, the Video Recordings Act
was instated by the British Government, and Deep River Savages was banned from the UK in its entirety (largely due to the real animal killings). In 2003, Deep River Savages was again brought before the BBFC; it was passed with a certificate of 18 after being cut by nearly four minutes to remove all animal cruelty present. Ironically, despite all the controversy surrounding the film's UK release, Man from Deep River was passed with a simple R rating by the MPAA.
1972 in film
The year 1972 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Avanti!, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet MillsB...
), better known as The Man from the Deep River in North America or Deep River Savages in Europe, is an Italian
Cinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had patented their Cinematographe, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera.-Early years:...
exploitation film
Exploitation film
Exploitation film is a type of film that is promoted by "exploiting" often lurid subject matter. The term "exploitation" is common in film marketing, used for all types of films to mean promotion or advertising. These films then need something to exploit, such as a big star, special effects, sex,...
directed by Umberto Lenzi
Umberto Lenzi
Umberto Lenzi , is an Italian film director who was very active in low budget crime films, peplums, spaghetti westerns, war movies, cannibal films and giallo murder mysteries ....
. It is perhaps best known for popularizing the cannibal genre
Cannibal film
Cannibal films are a sub genre of exploitation film made mostly by Italian filmmakers through the 1970s and 1980s. This sub genre is a collection of graphically gory movies that usually depict cannibalism by primitive, Stone-age natives deep inside the Asian or South American rain forests...
of Italian exploitation cinema during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Lenzi was probably trying to imitate the content of notorious Mondo cinema
Mondo film
A mondo film is an exploitation documentary film, sometimes resembling a pseudo-documentary, usually depicting sensational topics, scenes, and situations...
, which had gained considerable Grindhouse
Grindhouse
A grindhouse is an American term for a theater that mainly shows exploitation films. It is named after the defunct burlesque theaters located on 42nd Street in New York City, where 'bump n' grind' dancing and striptease were featured.- History :...
popularity since Gualtiero Jacopetti
Gualtiero Jacopetti
Gualtiero Jacopetti was an Italian director of documentary films.He was born in Barga, in northern Tuscany...
and Paolo Cavara made Mondo Cane
Mondo cane
Mondo cane is a documentary written and directed by Italian filmmakers Paolo Cavara, Franco Prosperi and Gualtiero Jacopetti. The film consists of a series of travelogue vignettes that provide glimpses into cultural practices around the world with the intention to shock or surprise Western film...
in 1962
1962 in film
The year 1962 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May - The Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards are officially founded by the Taiwanese government....
, even though this film is fictional. Like Man from Deep River, Mondo films often focus on exotic customs and locations, graphic violence, and animal cruelty.
The film was mainly inspired by A Man Called Horse, which also featured a white man who is incorporated into a tribe that originally held him captive. The title The Man from the Deep River is even supposed to echo the title of A Man Called Horse.
Plot
The story focuses on a British photographer, John Bradley, who is sent into the Thai rain forest to take wildlife photographs. While on assignment, a tribe native to the area takes him captive.Bradley starts in Bangkok, taking photos and seeing the sights, until he arrives at a boxing match with a date. His date grows increasingly bored and disgruntled by Bradley's refusal to leave, until she finally walks out on him, which doesn't bother him in the slightest. An unidentified man sees her leave, and presumably upset over the disrespect shown towards the young woman, he follows Bradley to a bar where he confronts him with a knife. After a brief struggle, Bradley manages to turn the weapon against the man and kills him. Even though he killed in self defense, Bradley immediately flees the scene.
The next day, John begins his trip deep into the rain forest. He rents a canoe and a guide to take him down a nearby river. Still fearing that he'll be captured by the authorities, he pays off the man to not mention their encounter. After rowing a ways and taking several wildlife photos, Bradley's guide, Tuan, mentions his concerns about traveling so far down river, which he reports as being dangerous. John agrees to head back after one more day of traveling. John falls asleep, and when he awakes, he finds Tuan dead with an arrow in his throat. Before he has any chance to escape, a native tribe captures him in a net and carries him to their village. The chief, Luhanà, is told that the group has captured a large fish-man. At the village, Bradley is hung in the net from a high pole, where a group of young children hit him with bamboo stalks. While hanging, Bradley witnesses the execution of two war criminals by his captive tribe. The tribe is at war with another, even more primitive tribe of cannibals, the Kuru. Two of the cannibals have their tongues cut off in the village center. Bradley reacts with disgust, labeling the tribe as murderers.
Still in the net and hanging for hours, John notices that he has attracted the attention of Marayå, the beautiful and naked daughter of the chief who takes an immediate fascination with the stranger. She convinces her father that John is not a fish-man, just a man. Luhanà agrees to release Bradley as Marayå's slave. He is forced to stay locked in a shack for hours, where Taima, Marayå's governess, introduces herself. She is a missionary child and can speak English, and tells Bradley that soon he will be released, as Marayå will be married to Karen in ten days. Luhanà interrupts the two and unties Bradley because it is the day of the Feast of the Sun. During the feast, a helicopter flies overhead. Bradley tries to be rescued, but he is subdued by other warriors, who nearly kill him. Marayå intervenes, however, protecting her property. The helicopter gives John hope, and he plans escape, which Taima agrees to eventually help him with.
A month passes, as Bradley grows even more tense. During one day of labor, a building accident kills a young man. Bradley watches the funeral ceremonies and is again shocked by the actions of the natives. During the ceremony, Taima tells Bradley that now is his time to escape. He does, but Karen and a group of warriors chase after him. They corner him at a waterfall, where Bradley kills Karen. Again a helicopter flies by, and again John goes unnoticed. After Karen's death, the tribe decides to incorporate Bradley as one of them. He faces various rituals and tortures until he is finally released and accepted as a warrior, and he uses his knowledge of modern technology and medicine to help the tribe, but, as a result, becomes an enemy of the tribe's witch doctor
Witch doctor
A witch doctor originally referred to a type of healer who treated ailments believed to be caused by witchcraft. It is currently used to refer to healers in some third world regions, who use traditional healing rather than contemporary medicine...
. During this time, he and Marayå begin to become fond of each other, until Marayå must choose a new fiancé. Of the tribe's warriors, Marayå chooses John, and the two are married. After the wedding, the two run into the wilderness where Bradley gets naked and has sex with Marayå. This ends up getting Marayå pregnant. During the conception, however, a black butterfly flew over the two lovers, a foreboding of ill fate.
It is now six months after Bradley has been captured, and he has finally accepts his new life with Marayå. However, this is also when the cannibals decide to strike. Two teenagers, a boy and a girl, are ambushed outside of the village by the Kuru. The girl is killed and the boy mortally wounded, but he still is able to inform the others of the attack before he dies. John joins other warriors to eliminate the attack party, and they arrive to see the Kuru party consuming the young woman. The group attacks the cannibals, with John participating in activities he earlier condemned. When Bradley returns, however, he learns that Marayå has fallen ill from the pregnancy and has been stricken blind. John believes the only way to save her is to take her back to civilization for modern medicinal treatment. Taima helps the two escape, but she is caught in doing so has her hand cut off as punishment. Bradley and Marayå are captured and forced to return.
Upon their return, Marayå goes into labor. Again Bradley rejects the witch doctor, sending him away from the ailing Marayå. At this time, the Kuru return to attack the village. They set fire to many huts before John and the other warriors are able to react. In the ensuing and graphic battle, John takes Marayå to safety until the cannibals are fought back and withdraw. As John tries to comfort Marayå's pain, he points out a black butterfly overhead. Marayå then reveals the significance of the butterfly: death. Marayå finally gives birth, and dies shortly after. John wanders aimlessly through the jungle upon his wife's death, only sadly recollecting memories of her. Again a helicopter flies overhead, and after a moment of contemplation, he takes cover with the rest of the tribe, deciding to stay with them, probably for life, to help them rebuild and live against the Kuru and the elements.
Cast
| Actor | Ivan Rassimov Ivan Rassimov Ivan Rassimov was an Italian film actor of Serbian origin who appeared in many horror and exploitation films.... | John Bradley |
|---|---|---|
| Me Me Lai Me Me Lai Me Me Lai, sometimes billed as Me Me Lay, is an ex-actress born in Burma in 1952, to a Burmese mother and an English father. She moved to England in her teens, where she soon started her acting career, at first in television series like Paul Temple and Jason King... |
Marayå | |
| Pratitsak Singhara | Taima | |
| Sullalewan Suxantat | Karen | |
| Ong Ard | Lahunà | |
| Prapas Chindang | Chuan | |
| Pipop Pupinyo | Mihuan | |
| Tuan Tevan | Tuan | |
| Chit Chit Chit can refer to:*Chit , a type of wargame counter*Chit fund, a savings scheme practiced in India*Voucher, a certificate with monetary value*Chitting, a method of preparing potatoes for planting... |
Cannibal | |
| Choi Choi Choi , sometimes also Choe, is a common Korean family name.*Cuī in China Beijing-Manchu dialect*Chui in Hong Kong Cantonese*Choi Korea dialect*Tsui in Taiwan dialect-origin:in china;... |
Cannibal | |
| Song Suanhad | Witch doctor | |
| Pairach Thaipradt | Thai |
Legacy
Though the "cannibal boomCannibal boom
The cannibal boom is a period in the history of exploitation film, lasting roughly from 1977 to 1981, where cannibal films were at the peak of their popularity in Grindhouse theaters and cinema...
" of the 1970s and 1980s did not start until Ruggero Deodato
Ruggero Deodato
Ruggero Deodato is an Italian film director and screen writer, best known for directing violent and gory horror films. Deodato is infamous for his 1980 film Cannibal Holocaust.- Biography :...
released his film Last Cannibal World
Ultimo mondo cannibale
Ultimo mondo cannibale is a cannibal exploitation film directed by Ruggero Deodato, which stars Massimo Foschi, Me Me Lai and Ivan Rassimov...
in 1977, Man from Deep River is seen as either the inspiration or the start of the cannibal genre
Cannibal film
Cannibal films are a sub genre of exploitation film made mostly by Italian filmmakers through the 1970s and 1980s. This sub genre is a collection of graphically gory movies that usually depict cannibalism by primitive, Stone-age natives deep inside the Asian or South American rain forests...
, as the combination of the rain forest setting and onscreen cannibalism was not seen until its release (ironically, director Umberto Lenzi
Umberto Lenzi
Umberto Lenzi , is an Italian film director who was very active in low budget crime films, peplums, spaghetti westerns, war movies, cannibal films and giallo murder mysteries ....
would admit that cannibalism was not intended to be the central theme). When released in America, it would prove successful on Time Square's 42nd Street under the title of Sacrifice!, offering the opportunity for similar films to enjoy that same success (which was ultimately the case). Lenzi was even given the chance to direct Last Cannibal World, but the producers chose Ruggero Deodato
Ruggero Deodato
Ruggero Deodato is an Italian film director and screen writer, best known for directing violent and gory horror films. Deodato is infamous for his 1980 film Cannibal Holocaust.- Biography :...
when they refused to match Lenzi's price. He would, however, make a follow up in 1980 with his film Eaten Alive! (which even featured the Grindhouse theaters of 42nd Street
42nd Street (Manhattan)
42nd Street is a major crosstown street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, known for its theaters, especially near the intersection with Broadway at Times Square. It is also the name of the region of the theater district near that intersection...
that had made Man from Deep River famous).
Censorship
Other than being the first cannibal filmCannibal film
Cannibal films are a sub genre of exploitation film made mostly by Italian filmmakers through the 1970s and 1980s. This sub genre is a collection of graphically gory movies that usually depict cannibalism by primitive, Stone-age natives deep inside the Asian or South American rain forests...
, Man from Deep River is also notorious for several scenes of extreme violence and gore, which is standard for its genre. Though several scenes of torture and cruelty are present, its inclusion of several on screen slayings of animals tends to land the film in hot water with censors all over the world.
Video Nasty
A large amount of the film's notoriety comes from its inclusion in the UK's list of video nastiesVideo nasty
"Video nasty" was a colloquial term coined in the United Kingdom by 1982 which originally applied to a number of films distributed on video cassette that were criticized for their violent content by the press, commentators such as Mary Whitehouse and various religious organizations.While violence...
, films that the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) deemed obscene. Though it was rejected for cinema release and certification by the BBFC in 1975, it was still able to make it to a video release under the title Deep River Savages. When the DPP compiled the "video nasties" in 1983, Deep River Savages made its way onto the list. In 1984, the Video Recordings Act
Video Recordings Act
Video Recordings Act may refer to:*Video Recordings Act 1984 in the United Kingdom*Video Recordings Act 1987 in New Zealand*Video Recordings Act 2010 in the United Kingdom...
was instated by the British Government, and Deep River Savages was banned from the UK in its entirety (largely due to the real animal killings). In 2003, Deep River Savages was again brought before the BBFC; it was passed with a certificate of 18 after being cut by nearly four minutes to remove all animal cruelty present. Ironically, despite all the controversy surrounding the film's UK release, Man from Deep River was passed with a simple R rating by the MPAA.
See also
- Cannibal HolocaustCannibal HolocaustCannibal Holocaust is a 1980 Italian horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato from a screenplay by Gianfranco Clerici. Filmed in the Amazon Rainforest and dealing with indigenous tribes, it was cast mostly with United States actors and filmed in English to achieve wider distribution...
- Cannibal FeroxCannibal FeroxCannibal Ferox, also known as Make Them Die Slowly, is a 1981 Italian exploitation film written and directed by Umberto Lenzi. Upon its release, the film made claims to being "The most violent film ever made"...
- Cannibal FilmCannibal filmCannibal films are a sub genre of exploitation film made mostly by Italian filmmakers through the 1970s and 1980s. This sub genre is a collection of graphically gory movies that usually depict cannibalism by primitive, Stone-age natives deep inside the Asian or South American rain forests...