Sacrifice! (1972) Il paese del sesso selvaggio (original title)

Director:

Umberto Lenzi

Writers:

Francesco Barilli
Massimo D'Avak

Release Date:

23 May 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Horror

Tagline:

AKA Deep River Savages

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:

Photographer | Cannibal | Cannibal Tribe | Torture | Sexual Attraction

Cast

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

Directed by
Umberto Lenzi

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

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
Dante Di Palma	....	assistant camera
Tarcisio Diamanti	....	key grip
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 (JBA) (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)
• Mistar (????) (Finland) (video)
• Shriek Show (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Video Classics (Australia) (video)

Also Known As:

"Il paese del sesso selvaggio" - Italy (original title)
"Deep River Savages" - Europe (English title)
"The Man from the Deep River" - International (English title)

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 (2007) (uncut) | Sweden:(Banned) | Finland:K-16 (1989) (heavily cut) | Portugal:M/18 | Italy:VM18 | Norway:18 (VHS rating) | UK:(Banned) (1984-2003) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company:

Medusa Produzione

Trivia:

The film is considered to be the first "cannibal film", a subgenre of European exploitation films that was prevalent in Grindhouse cinema in the late seventies and early eighties.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Edited into Eaten Alive! (1980)

A dark horse

I liked this one strictly for its exoticness. Ivan Rassimov (R.I.P Big Man) actually could have become an action star if he wasn't more inclined to stay in Europe. And Me Me Lay (Where is SHE now?) looks great dressed or naked. She has a great face. I have the Prism edition video. That one is missing a brief cannibal scene that later showed up in Lenzi's "Eaten Alive by the Cannibals." The cinematography was well done and I may catch some heat for this but I actually liked the music. Obviously it ripped off "A Man Called Horse" but the change in location gave it a bit more to work with. The love scene in the river came very close to XXX. A well placed bush (no pun intended) kept it soft-core. I heard rumors that Rassimov and Lay were romantically linked at one point but I don't know how true it is. Not much gore, so jungle flick fans should like it. I know I did.