Cannibal Ferox (1981)

"Oh God, please let her die soon. Oh, let her die soon. And let me die soon too, please.", 27 May 2006

Maybe I've seen too many of these cannibal films in a short amount of time, but in many respects, Cannibal Ferox seems like the same old thing I've already seen. I mean there are only so many alligators that you can watch being gutted before it gets a little repetitive. It's not that Cannibal Ferox is the worst example of this particular Italian sub-genre, it's just not overly original – the same basic plot, similar music, and plenty of over-the-top bloodletting. I have nothing to back this up but I get the feeling that director Umberto Lenzi was trying to outdo Ruggero Deodato's Cannibal Holocaust. And in some respects, he succeeds. There are plenty of moments of outrageous violence, highlighted by the scene where one of the characters is hung by her breasts. Ugh! This is only one of a couple of dozen scenes that had me feeling very uncomfortable. As a gory cannibal film, Cannibal Ferox is a winner, but violence is the only area where Lenzi's film approaches Deodato's film. I'm not sure how to express this or if it's even appropriate when discussing cannibal movies, but Cannibal Ferox lacks the artistry and beauty I find in Cannibal Holocaust. There is a sense of "style" missing from Cannibal Ferox.

6/10