Embrace of the Serpent (2015)

Director: Ciro Guerra

Starring: Nilbio Torres, Antonio Bolivar, Brionne Davis, Jan, Bijvoet

Primary genre: Adventure

Secondary genre: Drama

Nominated for: Best international film feature

Coming out swinging, Ciro Guerra’s “Embrace of the Serpent” is potentially a film that sets a benchmark in telling an cinematic original story with doses of that unbearable truth that envelopes the indigenous communities of the Amazon. Displaying with finesse and subtlety the devastating effects of colonialism - a subject that is more relevant today due to the increasing wipeout of indigenous cultures, Guerra’s film could be easily seen as a educational tool for the generations to come; an acknowledgement of the consequences that our vast human desire spills over someone else’s turf.

Guerra splits wisely the film into past and present with two parallel storylines featuring Karamakate, the last shaman and survivor of his tribe who accompanies two (and perhaps not so different from each other) scientists in the heart of the Amazon. Both of these adventures have almost an Odysse-ic feeling in their quest to reach a not-so-easy-to-find plant encountering along the way other tribes, missions and unique individuals that populate these trips with real pathos and powerful social metaphors.

Supported by excellent secondary players, our eyes are fixed on Karamakate and his journey of growth in a world that has left him behind and is incomprehensible to him. He is the heart of the film, an allegory for survivor’s guilt with hostility towards non-natives. He seemingly even despises Manduca, a “traitor” of his tribe for wearing “colonial” clothing and speaking the devils’ language. Yet, both representing a different side of the same coin. One has adapted to the inevitable change that will eventually sweep the Amazon but is proud of his heritage and bears a resonating hope that helping “openminded” foreigners will eventually convince others to understand the indigenous cultures. Yet Karamakate prefers to isolate himself deep in the jungle risking the eclipse of his knowledge of the forest just to avoid any encounter with those who seek to exploit and destroy, even if these individuals are from the same ethical background.

The story develops without exposition and an insistence of melodramatic caveats, keeping it sharp, focused and with a steady momentum with “wonderful” events displaying the ignorance of outsiders towards the local hospitality and customs. There certainly have been films of bigger scale that have dealt with this subject before (Ridley Scott’s “1492” (1992) and “The Lost City of Z” (2016)) on a much bigger scale and lots of star power but Guerra’s film feels more organic (assisted by the use local dialects), raw and real. The performances are top notch, especially Nilbio Torres as the young and more passionate Karamakate and Antonio Bolivar as the more accepting, wiser and older version, both bringing a different layer of development to this complex character.

Guerra’s direction embraces majestic tropical landscapes with the rainforest being a character itself. The employment of a black and white cinematography only enhances this experience and transports you back to that era where travelling was quite challenging and communication had not taken off to the heights that is today. A gorgeous production design places the viewer front and center in these densely inhabited by trees and animals environments where even a drop of rain makes a difference with exquisite sound design that brings the jungle to life.

“Embrace of the Serpent” is perhaps of the best films of the decade, a film that says so much without relying on a preachy tone but carries a strong emphasis on poignant and meaningful storytelling with fully developed characters in one of the darkest eras of human history. See this now.

Masterpiece

+Striking cinematography

+Outstanding sound design

+Era authenticity

+Subtle commentary on the devastating effects of colonialism

+Complex characters

+Sharp direction

+Nilbio Torres/Antonio Bolivar give fantastic performances