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Paese del sesso selvaggio, Il (1972)

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
The cannibal legend that started it all, 25. Januar 2006

Author: Helltopay27 von United States

Everyone who has ever heard of this movie knows that it was the first of the cannibal genre, so I'm not rave about why it's a classic because of it. Instead, I'm going to talk about why it's a classic because it's a good film. Of course, it's not a cannibal movie per se, at least not in the traditional sense. In a technique picked up by Amazonia, the main tribe isn't a cannibal tribe, and the tribe that they're at war with is, but I digress. Umberto Lenzi trades his gut-wrenching horror with a nice, flowing drama. His horror angles are present with some gore, but The Man from the Deep River goes nowhere near to becoming exploitation. Instead of being about brutal hatred and savagery, it's about human nature, development, and love. Rassimov and Lai give intense emotion in their roles, and it helps add a legitimacy to it. If Lenzi hadn't tried to advertise the violence of the film (and hadn't sparked the cannibal craze), this movie would be held high as the drama that it is. The movie blends the romance and horror of the movie perfectly, and makes it not only watchable, but rather entertaining.

Photographer John Bradley (played masterfully by Ivan Rassimov) arrives at a small Thai town on assignment and subsequently kills a man in self defense (which is not mentioned again). He goes into the rain forest to take wildlife photos, but his guide says he's going too far up river. Knowing the theme of the movie, this isn't exactly shocking. His guide is killed and Bradley is captured by the natives, who thinks he's a fish-man, leading to the rather famous "I'm a man, not a fish!" scene. Enter Maraya (Me Me Lai), who thinks he's only a man, but finds the stranger fascinating none-the-less. The others agree and make him a slave. With the help of Maraya's maiden, Taima, a missionary child, he escapes and kills Maraya's fiancé. He's recaptured, and the torture begins to make him part of the tribe. The violence is incredibly mild compared to what the advertisements scream, which, in a way, is a refreshing change of pace. Again, with Taima's help, he teaches the tribe English, and now understanding each other (somewhat), Bradley and Maraya spur romance. After some bizarre rituals, they're married, and after some sick rituals, she's ready to have a baby. Joy turns to sorrow when Maraya falls ill from the pregnancy, and John must help his wife and the tribe when the cannibals finally attack.

The first thing I noticed was the natives don't match the rugged environment, but it seems realistic enough, as they're more civilized than what you normally see. The cannibals at least were dirty and gritty, which is how they're supposed to be. Like I said before, this isn't a cannibal movie that you're used to seeing. The violence is incredibly toned down, and most is made up of animal violence, which is mostly ritualistic. Any combat violence is very low, but gore is still present here and there. I was at first hostile to this stray from the norm, but now I've had a change of heart. Like Foschi in Last Cannibal World, Rassimov does a great job transforming his character to being more savage. Acts that enraged him at the beginning he condones and participates in later. Despite the reputation of it and the genre, this film is rather beautiful. It starts how you would think, but then turns slow paced and lovely. The feelings in the movie is touching, and the dramatic angle is huge. It's like Love Story meets Cannibal Ferox. Some parts are very sad, and others are inspiring. Any nudity is not exploited, though some of the sex is very graphic. It's more love making, though, than savage screwing present in most of the other movies. The ending is equally a thing of beauty, when Bradley has a chance to rejoin civilization after the death of his wife, but decides to stay with the tribe.

However, though it's a very competent movie with a lovely, dramatic musical score, The Man from the Deep River is sadly rather forgettable. It is a great film, but it's not a genre favorite for sure. It's so different from the rest of the genre that people tend to ignore its importance, and only give it's significance to starting the cannibal craze. The native environment is close to the only thing connecting it to the rest of the genre. At times, because of this slow paced and flowing difference, it can be rather dull. Some parts of the movie had such limited action that it was hard to sit through it. Though as a whole it was good, it seemed too long at 93 minutes. I still liked it. Rassimov and Lai were brilliant as two strangers coming together, and the communication problem was dealt with in a realistic way. Thankfully, the tribe eventually learned English, and didn't speak it from the get go (like the dreadful Cannibal Holocaust II). Lenzi bridges the gap from hardcore horror to lovely drama perfectly, showing that even horror can be beautiful. Though different, it's still a great film.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Repellent but fascinating., 27. Juni 2003

Author: gridoon

This is often credited as "the first cannibal horror film", although it has less to do with cannibalism than with Italian shockumentaries such as "Mondo Cane". Viewing it is an often repellent but altogether fascinating experience - one that you will not soon forget. Umberto Lenzi's direction, which is a curious mix of skill and amateurishness, combined with the location shooting, give it a documentary-like feel that compensates for the thin and sloppily set-up plot. (***)

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
The first of the Cannibal Flicks, 11. Dezember 1999
Author: davelawrence666 (davelawrence666@hotmail.com) von London, UK

This was the first of the 6 major Italian Cannibal flicks of the 70's, (and early 80's). And it isn't that bad at all. It has a quite good story, and the acting is suprisingly good. The love story is a little far-fetched, but the film itself is quite enjoyable, except, once again for the real animal deaths.

Not as good as either of Deodato's, but certainly better than Eaten Alive, Cannibal Apocalypse, or Trap Them and Kill Them.

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
For a "cannibal" film, it's surprisingly touching and sad, 18. Juni 2006

Author: bensonmum2 von Tennessee

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

It's amazing that the relatively tame Man from Deep River spawned the whole Italian cannibal sub-genre. I use the word "tame" because in comparison to other similar films it's just that – tame. Sure, there are a few scenes of over-the-top cannibal violence and real animal deaths, but they are not the focus of the movie. The scenes of violence that give the Man from Deep River its notoriety could have been excluded and the movie would have probably been just as good. The main benefit to the movie of these scenes is to provide a sense of realism.

The main plot concerns a man who at first is held prisoner by a primitive tribe only to become accepted by the tribe and, in turn, accept the tribe as his own. Other commentators have spoken of the movie's similarity to something like Dances with Wolves and it's an accurate comparison. Ivan Rassimov is quite good in the Kevin Costner role. Other than his incredibly bad dye job that remains with him throughout the film even though at least a year of time passes, he's believable. A pre-boob job Me Me Lai has the Mary McDonnell role. She not the greatest actress you'll ever see, but at least here she does look more authentic as a native than she does in later cannibal films with her perfect make-up and over inflated chest. The rest of the cast, made up of locals and real tribes-people, are surprisingly effective.

Another surprise is the way Lenzi allows the relationship between Rassimov and Me Me to grow believably throughout the movie. Too often, films like Man from Deep River just expect the viewer to accept the fact that the best looking native woman immediately and without reason falls for the white male intruder. The relationship in Man from Deep River is interesting and a far cry from what you'll find in other cannibal films. For what is essentially an early 70s Italian exploitation film, it's actually quite touching and sad.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Umberto Lenzi's first!, 27. November 2006

Author: cannibalfilmfanatics von United States

Man From Deep River was the first in Umberto Lenzi's cannibal trilogy. Umberto says that this was the film the started the entire jungle cannibal sub-genre. The truth is it probably did a large part in inspiring the genre to grow, but it definitely wasn't the first of the cannibal genre. Man From Deep River is one of the most mild down films in this type of cinema. There is vary little action, violence, or gore in this film. None the less Man From Deep River is a classic film of this genre. This film is kind of pulled away from the traditions of the typical cannibal flick. Though cannibalism is a important part of this film the main focus is the relationship between our main character, John Bradley, and his love for a native named Maraya (played by Me Me Lai.)

It all starts out in Southeast Asia were we meet our main character John Bradly, who we later find out is a photographer on assignment. Not much later he is being led down river into the deep jungles to take photos of his surroundings. Our photographer and his guide stay on the river for a couple days, but when our character decides to take a quick nap he soon finds himself in the hands of the jungle natives. He awakes to see his guide floating dead in the water, and when he swims closer to investigate he is captured in a type of netting and is carried to the tribe's village. He is then tied to high beams and beaten with sticks like a piñata.

We soon find out that the tribe that Bradley is a prisoner of is at war with a cannibalistic tribe near by. Once Bradley is freed from the beams he must indoor several other dehumanizing acts brought upon him by the natives. It is not much time before an elderly women, who can speak English, and our young native played by Me Me Lai start to feel sympathetic for there tribes prisoner and do anything they can to help him. As expected Maraya, the young native begins to get the hots for her tribe's prisoner and she tries desperately to create a positive relationship with him. Later Bradley attempts to escape, but failed and was punished for his actions, by being tied to a rotating cross and have darts shot into his body repeatedly. Not much after that he gains the respect of the natives and soon marries Maraya.

The first time I viewed this film I found it to be kind of dull, and hard to sit through, but I decided to give it another chance and watched it again. After my second viewing I grew to respect this film, and started to see the art in it. Sadly Man From Deep River is easily forgotten, and is often ignored by the fans of the jungle/cannibal genre. I think the reason for this is because it doesn't fit the stereo types of the typical cannibal flick. The violence is vary mild, and the films main tribe is not cannibalistic.

Though this film is tame and not the typical blood bath, it is a must have for any collector of this genre. Man From Deep River is definitely a classic.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
A dark horse, 14. Januar 2005

Author: haildevilman von Tokyo, Japan

I liked this one strictly for its exoticness. Ivan Rassimov (R.I.P Big Man) actually could have become an action star if he wasn't more inclined to stay in Europe. And Me Me Lay (Where is SHE now?) looks great dressed or naked. She has a great face. I have the Prism edition video. That one is missing a brief cannibal scene that later showed up in Lenzi's "Eaten Alive by the Cannibals." The cinematography was well done and I may catch some heat for this but I actually liked the music. Obviously it ripped off "A Man Called Horse" but the change in location gave it a bit more to work with. The love scene in the river came very close to XXX. A well placed bush (no pun intended) kept it soft-core. I heard rumors that Rassimov and Lay were romantically linked at one point but I don't know how true it is. Not much gore, so jungle flick fans should like it. I know I did.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Diverting jungle curio with a strong score and some welcome nudity, 18. Dezember 2006

Author: fertilecelluloid von Mountains of Madness

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Lenzi's earliest "cannibal" romp is more interested in a man's personal voyage into self discovery than human chomping. Still, it's a mildly diverting curio that features stretches of animal torture, native nudity (Me Me Lai mostly), some gory deaths, and some human endurance tests ("Fear Factor" 70's-style). Ivan Rassimov, who dials his performance down in this oater, plays a Brit photographer who travels to Thailand to film the local wildlife. He gets into a deadly but dull altercation with a local and takes off up the river. His guide is slaughtered and he is captured by a tribe of savages who put him through his paces and convert him to their way of life. Of course, it's the constantly naked Me Me Lai who assures his conversion to the ways of the wild man. Lai is cute but not as superhot as, for example, Vanity in "Tanya's Island", or Laura Gemser. The photography is professional and the direction is more focused than is usual for the inconsistent Lenzi. Of particular note is the great, often repeated signature score by Daniele Patucchi.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
No good chapter to begin the book of cannibals! *Spoiler!*, 3. Februar 2002
Author: Le Froque

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

It´s always good to know the origins of each genre, however the only interesting aspect of this film was to see how many parallels it has to Lenzi´s later work "Eaten Alive". Not only that it´s casted once more with Ivan Rassimov and Me Me Lai who takes off her clothes every five seconds, also some ideas and sequences were recycled years later and both films seem to be shot at the same location. A real annoyance is, that Lenzi included two scenes into "Eaten Alive" he used in this film before (The slaughtering of an alligator, the rape and the eating of a woman...)! But as "Mangiati Vivi" (original title of "EA") is a great exploitation-adventure, this one is nothing else but a quite tame love story which is supposed to be based on real incidents..! Refraining from the obligatory animal snuff there´s nothing really exciting or even shocking in this film! "Eaten Alive" and the gory-as-hell "Cannibal Ferox" were real adrenalizers, however this one´s exploitation in its mildest form!

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Pretty forgettable debut for the cannibal subgenre, 11. November 2000

Author: Casey-52 von DVD Drive-In

Ruggero Deodato is often credited for inventing the cannibal subgenre with JUNGLE HOLOCAUST in 1975. But director Umberto Lenzi, usually acknowledged as a Deodato rip-off, directed THE MAN FROM DEEP RIVER 3 years earlier in 1972. Is it a worthy start for the genre? Well....not really.....

A photographer accidentally kills a man in self-defense and while retreating into the jungles of an Asian country, is captured by a native tribe who hold him captive, force him into slave labor, and eventually accept him when he marries the chief's daughter. Throughout the whole film, I never felt this was a horror film. It was more reminiscent of a drama, like A MAN CALLED HORSE, which I liked better. Ivan Rassimov is pretty good as the photographer, but it is Me Me Lai as the chief's daughter who is memorable and great. I have always been a Me Me Lai fan ever since her breathtaking performance in JUNGLE HOLOCAUST and she is never given credit for her acting chops because she hardly speaks in her films. She is still very talented and charming. Lots of real animal mutilation is the one thing about DEEP RIVER that could make it a horror film, but even that doesn't execute well.

THE MAN FROM DEEP RIVER is good to see for those who want to see what started the cannibal subgenre, but as an entry in the genre, is easily eclipsed by Deodato's entries and even Lenzi's own later entries. Recommended only for completists and Me Me Lai fans.

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Lenzi's Pioneering Cannibal Flick, 20. Juli 2008

Author: Benjamin Gauss von Salzburg, Austria

Umberto Lenzi's "Paese Del Sesso Selvaggio" (aka "Deep River Savages"/"The Man From Deep River") of 1972 is THE pioneering Italian Cannibal flick, and yet it is not necessarily a typical example for the sub-genre. While this may still be extremely violent for the average cinema fan, it is nowhere near as disturbing and outrageously gory as the Cannibal flicks from the early 80s, such as Ruggero Deodato's masterpiece "Cannibal Holocaust" (1980) or Lenzi's very own "Mangiati Vivi" (1980) and "Cannibal Ferox" (1981). The film is often compared to "Dances With The Wolves", and it is obvious why. "Deep River Savages" is built up more like a traditional adventure movie - with the difference that this one features Cannibals. Cannibalism is not the film's main focus however and the Cannibals actually play a very small role. This film mainly explores a Westerner's assimilation to a savage jungle tribe.

On a trip through the unexplored jungle between Thailand and Burma, English photographer John Bradley (Ivan Rassimov) gets captured by a primitive tribe, who hold him prisoner for a while. After some time, however, Bradley falls in love with the tribe's beauty Maraya (the ravishing Me Me Lai), who is the daughter of the tribe's chief, and becomes assimilated to the tribe... The film features a lot of sleaze, but it is not nearly as shocking or nauseating as the Cannibal films to come. This is therefore probably the most recommendable Cannibal film for the sensitive when it comes to violence (allthough these people are probably best advised to stay away from the genre in general). Like most entries to the genre the film does feature real animal-killings, so Peta-activists and pals won't be fond of it either. I happen to love meat, however, and the scenes add a lot of authenticity to the atmosphere. The great late Ivan Rassimov (he died in 2003) was one of the greats in Italian exploitation cinema, especially in Cannibal Flicks. As always, Rassimov delivers an excellent performance. Me Me Lai is stunningly beautiful, and she fits extremely well in the female lead of Maraya, arguably the most lovable character ever in a Cannibal flick. THE beauty of the sub-genre, Me Me Lai appeared in this film, as well as "Cannibal Ferox" and Deodato's "Ultimo Mondo Cannibale". Apart from the Cannibal flicks, she sadly did not have many memorable roles before she left the film business in the 80s. "Il Paese Del Sesso Selvaggio" is THE pioneering Cannibal flick, and yet it is an adventure film and even a romance more than it is a Horror film about cannibals. While "Cannibal Holocaust" is the only true masterpiece of the sub-genre, this one is also a highly interesting film that no lover of Italian Exploitation-cinema should consider missing. Most of the Cannibal flicks have their own particular qualities, but this one is quite unique. In case you just want to watch two films of the sub-genre, I would personally recommend to make it "Cannibal Holocaust" and this one.

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