Il paese del sesso selvaggio (1972)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Umberto Lenzi

Writers:

Francesco Barilli (writer)
Massimo D'Avak (writer)

Release Date:

23 May 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Horror | Romance

Tagline:

See! The Torture That Makes a Modern Man Defenseless!

Plot:

A photographer in the rain forest is captured by wild natives, and after months of living with them, he marries the chief's daughter and helps protect the village from a vicious cannibal tribe.

Plot Keywords:

Cannibal Tribe | Cannibal | Photographer | Torture | Fondling

Cast

Ivan Rassimov	...	John Bradley
Me Me Lai	...	Marayå (as Me Me Lay)
Pratitsak Singhara	...	Taima
Sullalewan Suxantat	...	Karen
Ong Ard	...	Lahuna
Prapas Chindang	...	Chuan
Pipop Pupinyo	...	Mihuan
Tuan Tevan	...	Tuan
Chit	...	Cannibal
Choi	...	Cannibal
Song Suanhad	...	Witch Doctor
Pairach Thaipradt	...	Thai
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luciano Martino	...	Extra in bar (uncredited)

Directed by
Umberto Lenzi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Francesco Barilli		writer
Massimo D'Avak		writer

Produced by
Ovidio G. Assonitis	....	producer
Giorgio Carlo Rossi	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Daniele Patucchi

Cinematography by
Riccardo Pallottini

Film Editing by
Eugenio Alabiso

Costume Design by
Ettora Marotti

Production Management
Gino Capponi	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Franco Fantasia	....	assistant director
Victor Tourjansky	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Nick Alexander	....	dubbing editor
Sergio Angeloni	....	sound technician

Camera and Electrical Department
Tarcisio Diamanti	....	key grip
Dante Di Palma	....	assistant camera
Giuseppe Gabrielli	....	gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Osanna Guardini	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Giuseppe Romano	....	assistant editor
Ivana Tumolo	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Giuseppe Bruno Bossio	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• Medusa Produzione
• Roas Produzioni

Distributors

• Joseph Brenner Associates (1973) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• CMV Laservision (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Cinépix Film Properties (CFP) (1973) (Canada) (as "Man from Deep River") (dubbed)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)
• Future Film (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• International Trading (2003) (UK) (video)
• Shriek Show (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Classics (Australia) (video)

Also Known As:

Deep River Savages (Europe: English title)
Man from Deep River (International: English title)
Sacrifice! (USA)

Runtime:

93 min | UK:89 min (heavily cut)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian | Burmese | Thai

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (2003) (heavily cut) | USA:Not Rated | UK:R (original rating: 1975) | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | Italy:VM18 | Norway:18 (VHS rating) | UK:(Banned) (1984-2003) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company:

Medusa Produzione

Trivia:

Umberto Lenzi was heavily influenced by the American western A Man Called Horse (1970) when making this film. The plots of the two films are nearly identical, and the English title for this film, "Man from Deep River", is even supposed to echo the title "A Man Called Horse".

Quotes:

John Bradley: I'm a human being, like you! I'm a man, not a fish!

Movie Connections:

Edited into Mangiati vivi! (1980)

Umberto Lenzi's first!

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.