Cannibalism isn't something you expect to find in the big city. I imagine that the minds behind Cannibal Apocalypse were aware of this, and bent their creative energies to the essential question of how cannibalism could be brought to the modern world. Ok, they might have said to each other, where do you find cannibalism? Outside of civilization, like say the jungle, or . . . the jungle I guess. Fine then, how do we combine the peaceful, boring pace of civilized life with the jungle-bound, rabid urge to eat another human being? Oh, and by the way, we want this set in America.
Wait a minute: America plus the jungle plus crazy violent urges? Of course, we'll just tie this all in with Vietnam! Buono!
Whether or not this was the origin of their brainwave, the filmmakers conceived of a film that serves up the desired helping of cannibalism by way of movie-land's favorite stereotypes about the Vietnam War. Need an excuse for a character to go nuts, and start eating other people? Look no further than the Vietnam War – which according to the movies, twisted everyone who served there. Want these people to be highly trained, so that the police are at a loss to apprehend them? Make sure they are former Special Forces, “the best”, and you're set.
Even the chief of police – himself a stereotype realized – is aware of all the Vietnam-vet conventions when he arrives at the scene of a stand-off with one of the cannibal veterans. Once someone tells him that the man they're after is a Vietnam veteran, he mutters, This is the last thing I need; the poor chief knows that he and everyone else is in for it now.
Along with its cinematic take on Vietnam veterans, Cannibal Apocalypse includes a whole bunch of the elements you would expect to find in an exploitation film: an overdone soundtrack saturated with bass; senseless nudity; a Black man whose lines usually involve long streams of expletives in macho tones; extra-marital affairs; street gangs; and yes, blood and violence. The film also draws from Romero's Dead films, supposing a strain of cannibalism that is “infectious”, which, of course, leads to more cannibals, and the potential for more acts of cannibalism.
I say potential, because Cannibal Apocalypse is surprisingly tame, especially considering its checkered release history. Until the release of the Euroshock DVD, video versions of the film were heavily edited for content. Yet compared to the likes of The Story of Ricky, Brain Dead, or even John Carpenter's The Thing, Cannibal Apocalypse offers a modest amount of gore and viscera. In fact, the main course, per say, isn't acts of cannibalism, so much as a tableau of urban decadence and violence, with cannibalism thrown in as a bonus.
When you think about it, the filmmakers had to know what they were about. The film is full of titillating material, and none of it connects to any meaningful themes or ideas. Logic is also missing: one of the more hilarious scenes is one in which a woman asks a doctor how the hell cannibalism can be transmitted like a virus; she receives a feeble, half-hearted answer. But then, isn't that the point: who knows how this works, and for that matter, who cares? Just open the gates, let the cannibals loose, and enjoy the show. Fa presto!
11/12/06
