I always become interested in any film that is nominated during awards season, and that it how I came to find this Colombian/Venezuelan/Argentinian film, and it was rated well, so I hoped for something good. Basically it tells two stories, thirty years apart, both featuring the character Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman and last surviving member of his tribe, and both times travelling on a journey with a scientist to find the rare yakruna, a sacred plant. In 1909, German ethnographer scientist Théodor 'Theo' von Martius (Jan Bijvoet) from Tübingen has resided in the Amazon for years, he is very sick, travelling with his notes and a westernised local he saved from slavery named Manduca (Yauenkü Migue). Young Karamakate (Nilbio Torres) prolongs Theo's life by blasting white powder called "the sun's semen" (possibly a hallucinogenic) up his nose, but is reluctant to become involved a westerner and refuses his money, Theo is searching for the yakruna plant as the only cure for his disease, and the three set off in a canoe to find it. Years later, in 1940, American botanist Evan (Brionne Davis) paddles up to the Old Karamakate (Antonio Bolívar Salvador), he is hoping to complete Theo's quest, Karamakate does reluctantly agree again and assist, but he believes his knowledge is fledgling. Evan has a book of Theo's final trek, as he did not survive the jungle, Karamakate only agrees to help him as Evan describes himself as someone devoted to plants, but he may in fact have alternative purpose to find the yakruna plant. Both expedition stories play side by side, in 1909 Theo was left to die, and the plant was found but destroyed after being being abused and cultivated, against local traditions, and in 1940 only one plant remains and old Karamakate prepares it as a hallucinogenic for Evan to undergo a super- conscious experience. Also starring Nicolás Cancino as Anizetto and Luigi Sciamanna as Priest Gaspar. Both stories playing together are interesting as the characters travel upriver on the same mission, the black-and-white colouring for the film works well, there are good themes of religion, language and culture, and the cinematography is fantastic, all together it is a most watchable foreign language adventure drama. Very good!
Review of Embrace of the Serpent
