Frightfest 2014 Review: The Green Inferno (2013)

Review by Karolina Gruschka

Every year I promise myself that I will attend the next FrightFest. But each time August approaches, I realise that I do not have the funds for it, yet again. This year, to make up for it, I decided to at least treat myself to one movie. Despite a few film titles tickling my fancy, I knew immediately ‘the one’ had to be Eli Roth’s The Green Inferno. I had not read anything about it, nor watched the trailer; however, a certain few aspects seemed convincing enough. Firstly, both the image of Kirby Bliss Blanton’s character amongst Amazonian tribespeople and the movie’s title reminded me strongly of one of my favourite films, Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust (whose working title was Green Inferno); secondly, my faith in Eli Roth – a massive horror fan himself – to treat the material with respect. The Green Inferno did not disappoint me.

Innocent Justine (Lorenza Izzo), a university freshwoman with a genuine concern for human rights, joins a group of stereotypical students-wannabe-activists, lead by arrogant, kooky and militant Alejandro (Ariel Levy). With the official purpose of generating media attention to stop a deforestation company from destroying an Amazonian village, they all fly out together to Peru. Only upon arrival does Alejandro mention the little detail that the company workers have heavily armed guards and they all might be risking their lives here. Justine, who has a little crush on Alejandro, soon gets to experience first hand how dodgy he and his girlfriend Kara (Ignacia Allamand) really are. Abusing the fact that she is the daughter of an influential UN lawyer, they put Justine without her consent on the front line.

Leaving on a buzz and thinking they might have just gotten off lightly, their plane crashes in the rainforest. Which is, by the way, a great scene with regards to detail; for instance, Jonah (Aaron Burns) has a little bit of vomit exit his mouth during all the turbulence. I always find that the odd bodily dribble adds a realistic element to a dramatic scene. Only a few students survive the crash, just to be captured and imprisoned by the exact tribe they intended to rescue. This is the school of life (or death, more like it), not an environmental studies class in the safety of the lecture theatre. They learn the hard way that the villagers are actively practising cannibalism. You see the tribe’s women gossip chirpily over food preparation while the group-turned-livestock are awaiting their horrific ordeal. It is shocking, but it also got me thinking about how humanity (mis)treats animals just to fill our stomachs.

“Don’t think. Act!” – is the motto of the group. However, they would have been better off, had they actually used their brains. Most were really not prepared for this venture and approach it with great naivety. It seems like they are more concerned with their personal fulfillment (Alejandro asks his fellow activists: “Have you ever had fantasies of saving a tribe?”) and with being perceived as heroes back home, rather than actually showing an interest in the individual tribe’s people and their environment. They clearly have not done their research, worrying instead about silly things such as insect bites, how to score weed, losing stuff, tattoo motives or finding a toilet (in the wilderness?!). On top of that, it feels ironic that those student activists – children of a post-modern civilization – invade the tribe’s space to protect them from “encroaching civilization”, using their mobile phones and the internet.

The Green Inferno is a tribute to Cannibal Holocaust, but in a contemporary mainstream feature film context. While it easily could have backfired into becoming a post-modern Mondo mockery, Roth kept the tone serious. Even sequences that include penis, wank or fecal humour (there are only a few) somehow manage not to lapse into ridiculousness. Considering that the protagonists of The Green Inferno are students, Roth also avoided going down the ‘sex ‘n’ booze’ route. I found this more toned down depiction of youngsters refreshing; it kept the focus on the gravity of their situation rather than on sex and nudity for sex and nudity’s sake.

As Ruggero Deodato had done before him, Eli Roth, too, filmed in an Amazonian village with real tribespeople. Of course, this complicated the production process but the degree of authenticity it adds to the film is priceless. The main filming location – the Peruvian Amazon – is absolutely stunning (shame on deforestation!) An airplane view of the lusciously green Amazon at the beginning introduces the viewer to the vastness and denseness of the rain forest. Together with the music, which sounds like the soundtrack for an adventure film, it forebodes the danger that awaits the protagonists. The Green Inferno starts off as an adventure/drama and takes its time in getting to the cannibal part. This intensifies the impact of terror, when the movie suddenly switches to horror mode.

As a horror fan, I really appreciate The Green Inferno as you can feel Eli Roth’s passion for the genre seep through the whole movie. Unfortunately, the film has been pulled from release, so we can only wait and see what happens next. Either way, I can definitely recommend you go and watch it once The Green Inferno becomes available!