Despite technological advances like Blu-Ray players, iPods, iPhones, laptop computers, and in-dash car DVD players, I maintain that the optimal viewing place for a movie is in a movie theatre. Film is an art best experienced communally; in a crowd comedies are funnier, horror is more terrifying, each experience magnified by sharing it with friends and strangers. Unfortunately as a film critic I’m often working with films of the past and public viewings are simply impossible. When such an experience it offered, I have no choice but to take it.
A small group of film-lovers gathered together for a public screening of Cannibal Holocaust, a film that I have seen multiple times for various review purposes, always alone and only on DVD. The majority of the crowd admitted that they were well aware of the film’s nasty reputation but had never actually seen it, so warnings were given and preemptive apologies made before the ‘Play’ button was pushed but neither were taken very seriously. By the twenty minute mark the crowd was beginning to dwindle at a fairly steady pace; sometimes during a particularly gory scene, but often after it had ended and its ramifications had time to take hold. All of those that left did so prior to the infamous turtle scene, much to my surprise. Those that managed to stay the entire length of the film expressed a mixture of loathing and bewilderment towards the film but seemed to appreciate it more the longer it was discussed, some even changing their initial impression of hatred towards the film.
None of the above should be construed to be a defense or endorsement of the film on my part. To the contrary, watching with others made me reconsider the film in many ways. I had always watched it with an odd form of reverence, knowing in advance the level of brutality in the film and the themes and symbols I should be expecting to see. Seeing it through those eyes I had never been able to see how laughably bad the film is in many spots, how much more clear Deodato’s message would have been without the excesses of animal cruelty and misogyny, and how badly the film’s ending is bungled in an attempt to drive home an already obvious point. The same scenes I had seen several times before took on different meanings in a crowd setting. Several scenes were far more upsetting when you could see your fellow audience members wincing and watching through fingers. Other moments were made almost comedic by sharing the experience of how poorly written or acted they were through laughter.
I still think that Cannibal Holocaust is an important film. I’m glad that I’m able to see its flaws now too, something that I may have never been able to do without sharing the experience with others. Hopefully I’ll get more chances to see films like this with an audience in the future; it was an enlightening experience.
by David Carter | Source: Projected DVD
10 Mar 2009 9:07 PM | Submit Comment
