The Green Inferno’ Review: Lousy Film, Plenty Racist

[Dwight]

Besides, it's pretty damn questionable to make first contact with an isolated tribe, introduce them to television, and then use them as extras in a horror movie.

I'm not going to argue that the original film was made in a highly questionable manner, Deodato (the director) was often called a sadist by the cast and crew. He frequently underpaid people with local currency, or never paid them at all in the case of extras.

He wanted the basis of Cannibal Holocaust to be an indictment of the media whom focused on portraying violence with little regard for journalistic integrity and believed that journalists staged certain news angles in order to obtain more sensational footage given their coverage of the Red Brigade terrorist organization.
He was also heavily influenced by the creator of the "Shockumentary" Gualtiero Jacopetti who made several movies showcasing how ugly and violent the world really is.

Now The Green Inferno is an homage to that style of film( let's admit it, Roth is kinda a one trick pony with films), even Steven King loved it because it reminded him of the shock horror films he watched at the drive in growing up.

[Konradleijon]

I'm not going to argue that the original film was made in a highly questionable manner, Deodato (the director) was often called a sadist by the cast and crew. He frequently underpaid people with local currency, or never paid them at all in the case of extras.

He wanted the basis of Cannibal Holocaust to be an indictment of the media whom focused on portraying violence with little regard for journalistic integrity and believed that journalists staged certain news angles in order to obtain more sensational footage given their coverage of the Red Brigade terrorist organization.
He was also heavily influenced by the creator of the "Shockumentary" Gualtiero Jacopetti who made several movies showcasing how ugly and violent the world really is.

Now The Green Inferno is an homage to that style of film( let's admit it, Roth is kinda a one trick pony with films), even Steven King loved it because it reminded him of the shock horror films he watched at the drive in growing up.

Why would someone want to make a homage to racist, exploitive, trash like cannibal holocaust nothing Roth said seems to suggest he wants to make a critique of 80ties cannibalism movies? and how those someone else doing a bad thing make it okay for Roth to do a bad thing In his movie? I wonder if the (Jewish) Eli Roth would be okay if someone know made a movie where a bunch of Jews kidnap and tourture Christians for a blood libel ritual as a “tribute” to medavil passion plays ?

[Dwight]

Why would someone want to make a homage to racist, exploitive, trash like cannibal holocaust nothing Roth said seems to suggest he wants to make a critique of 80ties cannibalism movies? and how those someone else doing a bad thing make it okay for Roth to do a bad thing In his movie? I wonder if the (Jewish) Eli Roth would be okay if someone know made a movie where a bunch of Jews kidnap and tourture Christians for a blood libel ritual as a “tribute” to medavil passion plays ?

Didn't see Inglourious Basterds, either huh? Granted that's a Tarantino film but Roth acted in it.

[Konradleijon]

Didn't see Inglourious Basterds, either huh? Granted that's a Tarantino film but Roth acted in it.

How is a movie about killing nazis and one about a “cannibal tribe? Related? It’s like punching up vs punching down.

[Dwight]

How is a movie about killing nazis and one about a “cannibal tribe? Related? It’s like punching up vs punching down.

Both a homages to Italian films and grossed twice what they cost in production? Maybe they are just movies and you need a calm down with the personal army attempt?

[Heavy Arms]

Inglourious Basterds grossed quadruple its production budget for whatever that matters.

I think it is worth noting that Green Inferno is suddenly on minds because it's being recommended on Netflix for the Halloween viewing season reviving the controversies around it.

Honestly, the article linked to is overstated in more than a few places, not really doing justice to the problems with the story (erasing Alejandro's status as a person of color isn't really a great take when complaining about Jonah getting killed first after the remaining cast is captured). Roth's commentary on activism is more nuanced than a lot of push back against the movie gives credit. Yes he takes swipes at "slacktivists" and is generally dismissive of the idea of American college students safely on campus protesting various ills as being capable of significant change. But the movie is equally clear that Alejandro has gone far off the other side of the equation to the point where it's questionable if he even cares about his cause any more or gets more out of it being an excuse to use people since his methods are just as ineffective. Justine spins a big lie at the end, but she recognizes the narrative that people with power will actually respond to and achieves the most.

That all said... Roth didn't do himself any favors in trying to revive the cannibal tribe subgenre. It doesn't play with the formula in some innovative way to justify toying with very racist tropes. While I think saying that Roth presents the tribe as mindless savages says a bit more about the view than Roth, he still doesn't elevate things to match the nuance of the core narrative message. Absolutely nothing would have been lost to the story if you took out the cannibalism and just had the tribe violently react to invaders into their territory. So it's shock value that plays on racist stuff and doesn't even try to work it into the message of the story. At least the brutality of Hostel is part of the point.

Green Inferno doesn't have anything to say so vital it's worth putting up with the stuff Roth added in because he likes to include stuff he grew up with without thinking about how to update it to modern times. That doesn't mean it doesn't have anything to say, or that it lacks redeeming aspects as a movie, put if you want to spend two hours on a decent horror flick, there are hundreds to choose from that are better, and if you want to spend time on some serious issues, there's probably better ways than watching a cannibal exploitation film.

[CTPhipps]

Both a homages to Italian films and grossed twice what they cost in production? Maybe they are just movies and you need a calm down with the personal army attempt?

You didn't seem to get the message and argued with the moderator. You are now banned from this thread and have an official warning.

[Konradleijon]

Why aren’t more people outraged by this dreck?the cannibal Indian has been used as a justification for colonialist Violence since 1492 , and despite what Eli Roth says movies like this and India’s of amazionin tribes as “savage” is used as a justification for genocide. Would mr Roth be okay with a movie about the Antisemtic myth of the blood libel played straight?

[Heavy Arms]

Most people aren't outraged because most people didn't see the movie and most that did didn't like it. It's hard for people to work up outrage at a mediocre movie they promptly forgot about years later.

While the cannibal tribe tropes are racist colonial bullshit, I do think Roth is correct that the people threatening the lives of uncontacted Amazonian tribes right now in the present do not give a shit about cultural excuses for their actions, and that the profit is all they need to do what they do. The harm is that it's insensitive and racist, not that it's actively promoting genocide.

As a Jew myself, I find your attempt to "trap" him with his personal identity fairly tasteless, and pointless since he's not actually here and part of the discussion. Besides, what would you do if he said either:

1) He is OK with a blood libel movie because he trusts the public to react to it appropriately.
2) He's against it because Jews are under active threat of physical and lethal harm due to the propagation of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

As well, if the cannibalism was cut from the film, it would still be open to being criticized for depicting the tribe as "savage," because it's basically impossible to depict an uncontacted tribe without leaving yourself open to that.

[Konradleijon]

Most people aren't outraged because most people didn't see the movie and most that did didn't like it. It's hard for people to work up outrage at a mediocre movie they promptly forgot about years later.

While the cannibal tribe tropes are racist colonial bullshit, I do think Roth is correct that the people threatening the lives of uncontacted Amazonian tribes right now in the present do not give a shit about cultural excuses for their actions, and that the profit is all they need to do what they do. The harm is that it's insensitive and racist, not that it's actively promoting genocide.

As a Jew myself, I find your attempt to "trap" him with his personal identity fairly tasteless, and pointless since he's not actually here and part of the discussion. Besides, what would you do if he said either:

1) He is OK with a blood libel movie because he trusts the public to react to it appropriately.
2) He's against it because Jews are under active threat of physical and lethal harm due to the propagation of anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.

As well, if the cannibalism was cut from the film, it would still be open to being criticized for depicting the tribe as "savage," because it's basically impossible to depict an uncontacted tribe without leaving yourself open to that.

Okay if the seconds true Roth is a massive hypocrite , and even if the movie isn’t being used to directly fuel actual genocidal actions it’s still a shitty stereotype of indigenous people that still suffer from astoundingly high levels of rape ,addiction,abuse, murder, and it’s not actively cause sing a genocide is a shitty excuse to why the movie isn’t garbage, Roth is a fucking Asshole Edgelord

[CTPhipps]

I feel like this thread is doing nothing productive at all. The Green Inferno was a questionable film that may have exposed vulnerable people to outside problems but it's also not the source of indigenous people's troubles so going after it like this downplays real world tragedies.

The anger here is not helping this forum's mood or its cohesiveness.

I'm shutting it down.