Director: Ciro Guerra
Cast: Nilbio Torres, Jan Bijvoet, Antonio Bolivar, Brionne Davis, Yauenkü Migue, Nicolás Cancino
Rating: 12
Running Time: 119 mins
Release Date: 10/06/2016
The template in film of Man against Nature is thematically convenient for film-makers far and wide to explore the essence of the Universe and man’s place in it. Films like DELIVERANCE (1972), APOCALYPSE NOW (1979), CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST (1980), THE EMERALD FOREST (1985) and THE MISSION (1986) bring up varied and insightful ideas about the balance of evolution versus the imbalance of perception, but for most part the films do lead to the same conclusions about how our world changes and cultivates in the shadow of progress and development.
Ciro Guerra’s EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT (El abrazo de la serpiente) is the latest addition to explore this concept. Shot in stunning black and white cinematography (with occasional colour visuals at one point, but primarily a monochrome landscape for the drama and action), it chronicles the diary recollections of two explorers, Theodor Koch-Grunberg and Richard Evans Schultes and the tale of Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman who they both encounter at different times of his life in the search for a rare plant that can heal. The two stories are juxtaposed across decades, with Theodor and Richard’s journey down the Amazon to seek wisdom and enlightenment and both stories also reveal the presence of individuals trying to bring cultivated ideas to a culture unaffected by first-world idealism.
EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT is a very poetic and intelligent exploration of the culture that the two travellers encounter. It isn’t designed as a jungle adventure like APOCALYPTO was. (in terms of reference, it does recall John McTiernan’s MEDICINE MAN (1992), in which Sean Connery and Lorraine Bracco are trying to find a cure for cancer in a similar environment) However, EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT is a far superior work, particularly when it comes to the interaction between the actors (some of whom are real-life natives of the area). Part of it’s key strength does like in the cinematography, which reveals some incredible vistas and textures and a sound mix that gets you right at the heart of the story-line in a similar way to Willard’s journey down the river in APOCALYPSE NOW.
I must also add that this film does achieve what the essence of cinema should do – to be able to take you into a place to explore from the safety of your cinema seat, but in the process still provide an emotional connection to the material that the film-maker is offering you. Films like Malick’s THE NEW WORLD and THE THIN RED LINE also evoke a perception based on EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT.
Although the film is going to be available on demand, I would highly recommend that you go and see this on the big-screen, as the visuals are heightened and the sound is given proper justice.
All in all, a genuine cinematic experience.
Verdict
