The Green Inferno
Alternative Titles: Inferno Canibal; Canibais; Caníbales; Caníbales
Director: Eli Roth
Year: 2013
Starring: Lorenza Izzo; Ariel Levy; Nicolás Martínez; Aaron Burns
Context:
Initially hitting the festival circuit back in 2013 THE GREEN INFERNO met with mixed reviews before being beset with distribution problems delaying its release until 2016 in the UK.
Many of the cast would be familiar to those who have seen Roth’s recent projects with Ariel Levy, Ignacia Allamand, Nicolás Martínez, Matías López, and Ramón Llao amongst others having worked
alongside him on Nicolás López’s AFTERSHOCK (2012). Also on the set of that film was the future Mrs Roth and lead in THE GREEN INFERNO, Lorenza Izzo, who would go on to work alongside the director in his film KNOCK KNOCK.
The title of the film, THE GREEN INFERNO, was the working title for Deodato’s CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST as well as the name of the film within that film. Furthermore Antonio Climati’s CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST 2 also bears the same name as an alternative title.
Leading up to the film’s release and critical reception Roth would meet with fierce criticism surrounding the alleged xenophobia, the exploitation of native tribes and the perpetuation of negative (inaccurate) stereotypes. In an interview with Business Insider Eli Roth would defend his stance calling it “absurd” before stating in a letter of response that the cannibalism is “a metaphor for how people are shamelessly consumed by their vanity and need for validation on social media” but this idea is not fully explored nor pursued with conviction.
Roth’s letter does articulate quite well the absurdity of the claims that indigenous people could be hurt by a fictional film when in reality gas and logging companies are tearing up the jungle and displacing villagers. If only Roth managed to get this and his idea of ‘slacktivism’ across better in the film then perhaps he would have made something approaching Deodato’s seminal and thought provoking CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST. You can read Roth’s full statement on the Business Insider page and also learn about what the cast and crew did to benefit the tribe by way of thanks.
Synopsis:
Determined to protect the Amazon rainforest, a group of student activists fly to Peru only to crash-land deep in the jungle. Captured by a pack of bloodthirsty cannibals, the survivors suffer unspeakable acts of butchery at the hands of the very tribe they were trying to save. [Taken from the 2016 UK release]
Review:
After many documented problems Roth's homage to the Italian cannibal films of Deodato and Lenzi finally gets a home release. Focusing on student Justine (Lorenza Izzo) as she joins a college activist group they plan to set off to Peru and disrupt bulldozing through the rainforest which would wipe out an indigenous tribe.
This opening act is perfunctorily at best and within the realms of plausibility but sadly neither the pacing nor the execution live up to expectations due to some weak scriptwriting and acting performances. On first viewing this section feels like any other modern American horror without the urgency or grime of the sub-genres earlier films and can begin to drag as the heavy handed attempts to establish character fail simply because it is too shallow and superficial. But to be honest these attempts are also largely irrelevant because the viewer is watching this film for one reason only. The result of this is an opening forty minutes that could be trimmed down significantly without losing much impact or relevance (female genital mutilation aside).
Also worth noting during this time is the initial appearance of the singer Sky Ferrerira. Earlier on in the films marketing she received relatively high billing but her role is minimal in regards to the story but this is also a blessing as her performance leaves a lot to be desired.
Thankfully things go up a gear as the group head off to the jungle and it is here that the film really picks up as Roth sporadically shows us his early promise and why he is in the relatively bigger leagues for horror while also peppering in some loose and conventional character growth.
In particular the creepy yet charismatic leader of the activists, Alejandro, begins to display a less than altruistic side which ultimately helps contribute to the group finding themselves stranded in the jungle and not alone. Cue some brief gross out gags coming in the form of vomit and gore, which despite some mixed CGI effects work out quite well and provides the first real level of excitement for the horror fan which is quickly ramped as we enter the realm of the cannibal tribe and it is here where Roth excels.
Holding nothing back, the viewer is treated to a fantastic and graphic scene of dismemberment where the practical effects stand out and delight as the first of the group is sacrificed. Horrified the remaining caged survivors know that they must escape if they are to have any chance of survival but sadly Roth let’s his fanboy side run amok as he once again mixes gore and extreme violence with gross-out fratboy humour that in certain scenes would make even Jay and Silent Bob blush but by this point it is clear any pretence of subplot or social commentary has all but dissipated.
Amongst all this there are however nuggets of gold to be found including a stoned tribe sequence which is quite novel as our captives ‘Scooby Doo’ plan to escape kicks into full gear. Although logically if there is one feeling you do not want a bunch of cannibals to have it is the munchies, with the effect being something reminiscent of the one of the final scenes in Romero’s DAY OF THE DEAD.
The remainder of the film plays out as expected without really exciting or boring and this ambivalence exemplifies the problem facing THE GREEN INFERNO - for the audience of this sub-genre it fails to elicit any significant lasting impact. Conceptually the film should be set up to both mimic its influences whilst still allowing scope for the story to be told in a contemporary way however as with the majority of Roth's output any social commentary or subtext is not only lacking in substance but is also overpowered by the desire to shock and gross out.
If that were the full story then at least the gore fans would be satisfied overall but unfortunately the film is tonally and quality wise inconsistent while the choice of humour alongside what could have been serious commentary shows a clear disconnect between the perceived target audience and the actual audience resulting in a slight alienation of both.
Sadly it has to be said that there isn't enough meat in this film to last for its entire running time and while not terrible, THE GREEN INFERNO suffers from a weak first act, mixed performances and a disappointing conclusion. If you are hankering for a throwback to the Italian jungle cannibal films then you will ultimately be disappointed but you will also be desperate enough to forgive the films many (and there are) weak spots and derivative yet poorly executed scenes and because of this it can and will still entertain. Look out for the subtle nods to CANNIBL FEROX, especially towards the end, and the not so subtle nods to CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST.
Oh on a side note the matriarch of the tribe (played by Antonieta Pari) looks like Jack Sparrow but whether Johnny Depp’s annoying character influenced the look is unconfirmed as of this time. Finally make sure you watch through the credits, setting up for a sequel perhaps?
Version Reviewed:
We watched the barebones 2015 UK blu ray release comes with a cast and crew commentary track only. The track itself is quite informative and is worth a listen to add some extra depth and appreciation for the surprising nuances of this film.
This rather vanilla release is one for horror fans to either pick up cheap or rent as the lack of extras, when combined with other issues such as the sub-label the film was put out on, gives the impression that the distributor just wanted it out there, on the shelves and off the schedule. This is a particular shame considering Roth’s fanboy level of love for the 80s Italian horror scene and although he name checks many films at the end a documentary covering these films would have much more appreciated. That is not to say however that a special edition is not planned thanks to the mainstream awareness this film has over other similar releases.