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masonrs
Reviews
Mondo cane (1962)
Exciting--Back in the Day
I saw "Mondo Cane" twice or more in the early '70s. I first saw it in boarding school as part of the Saturday night film series (this being 1971). At the time kids thought it extremely racy and daring; to see it was an act of rebellion. Teenagers made it a rite of passage. That said, it never carried an x-rating or was banned, that I know of. I recall the cargo cult sequence most vividly, along with the dog-eating segment and a few others. I found the narration often humorous but rather self-righteous and condescending at times. And that lush theme music! In those days (early '50s to early '70s), every film had to have a hit song, often mushily romantic. Even shockumentaries had to have one (that may have died out by the time of "Cannibal Holocaust," however). "More" helped balance out the often very seamy aspects of the film. At school the kids often snickered at the various bizarre scenes, or made ribald comments. Catcalls occasionally erupted. I thought the film daring at the time, sometimes gross. I saw it again a couple of more times, though not after the early '70s. The film seemed less avant garde or challenging each time. Now it seems tame and dull compared to the shockumentaries that followed it. I have little interest in seeing it again, and have had no chances to do so (though you can get it on DVD). Repertory theaters where I've been have not shown it in recent years, nor has it appeared on television (to my knowledge). According to descriptions, it has numerous scenes of cruelty to animals (which I thankfully don't recall), and thus I would not be inclined toward repeat viewings. "Mondo Cane" did set the stage for reality TV and predicted much of what would happen in today's exploitative television and underground film world. That gives the film at least some historical interest. In retrospect, the cargo cult sequence is the most poignant.