Africa: Blood and Guts (1966)

The cruel acts of animal poaching and violence, executions, and tribal slaughtering, all taking place on the African continent.

Directors:

Gualtiero Jacopetti (as Jacopetti), Franco Prosperi (as Prosperi)

Writers:

Gualtiero Jacopetti (as Jacopetti), Franco Prosperi (as Prosperi)

Stars:

Sergio Rossi, Jomo Kenyatta, Gualtiero Jacopetti

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Sergio Rossi	...	Narrator (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jomo Kenyatta	...	(archive footage)

Storyline

From the producers of 'Mondo Cane' comes this violent document of a continent in transition; the change from white colonialism to independent black statehood. Often times, this resulted in the wholesale massacre of thousands of people and the indiscriminate extermination of wild life. Captured on film are mercenary killer squads wiping out entire villages, executions, Mau-Mau massacres and more!

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Plot Keywords:

disturbing | controversial | reenactment | hippopotamus | execution | 

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Taglines:

The SEARING... SHOCKING... SAVAGE... EXPLOSIVE Birth of a Continent!

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

11 February 1966 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Africa Blood and Guts

Filming Locations:

Angola

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cineriz

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min 83 min (1970 release)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In one scene where director Gualteiro Jacopetti and his crew encounter a soldier at Dar es Salaam, Jacopetti (in the dark blue shirt) is seen for a few seconds after he and his crew were dragged out of the car. Notice that Jacopetti suffered a cut after the soldier smashes the car window.

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Alternate Versions

Before receiving a UK cinema certificate the film was cut by over 12 minutes and was missing all footage of rotting human corpses and animal killings.

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Connections

Featured in Mad Ron's Prevues from Hell (1987)

User Reviews

Words cannot explain the dilemma I have with this film

Truly presents the world as a dark place without a happy ending, or an ending at all, a world full of intolerance part of the human condition. Even worse, there is great indifference towards this intolerance, even displayed by the filmmakers themselves as they arguably exploit the rape of Africa, equally marvelled by the human tragedy and the cinematic scope of Africa in crisis. Yet, the images are genuine, if not presented in a genuine way, and the use of editing, music, and all the techniques of cinema masterfully create a tour de force that commands debate, thought, and maybe - someday- action.

Is this perhaps an example of what "art" really is, for better and for worse?

The fact that it took me over a year to really put into words why this film affected me so much, and yet was still villainous in many ways (a paradox to be sure), makes me think that it is.