Magia nuda

This is an odd film. I originally had it in a Clamshell VHS tape format. The cover had a big cartoon eyeball and some other strange graphics like a man being hung by hooks. Wasn't sure what to expect. I think I was expecting more modern settings.

What you get in mostly primitive people and their use of "magic", which basically involves running around naked, animal slaughter, hurting each other, pee bathing, and suckling puppies, but mainly slaughtering animals.

It's actually a pretty interesting film. It's probably gross to people who are used to fast food, fast cars, and mortgage payments. A lot of the scenes in this film to me just seemed to be documentation of primitive people around the world and their day to day practices that seem gross to us because they are so different. It's hard to believe people lived like what was shown even in 1975. Some of the footage could very well have been from decades earlier than that.

If nothing else the flick serves as a time capsule of primitive people, with some goofy newer scene of things like psychic surgery throw in for good measure. I liked it. I've seen it 4 or 5 times over the years. It never fails to astound! It is how you say, Mucho Mondo!

MONDO MAGIC will make you lose your lunch. After spending considerable time with a filthy African tribe, the "producers" cross the water to find another equally filthy South American tribe. Animals are slaughtered, prepared and eaten by hand; bodily fluids and excreta are glorified and liberally distributed across the screen; nearly everybody is naked, nearly all the time.

The narrator says this is all tied in with "magic," but MONDO MAGIC is hardly a serious study of primitive magic or religion. It's more like a montage of disgusting scenes that are probably 100% authentic. (Circumcised African tribesmen don't shock me since the rite is ancient and originated in Africa, whence came the Israelites).

The Intermedia DVD version I saw this evening was "re-edited," and clocks in at 84 minutes -- the "sex magic" seems to have been cut from the film. Crude anatomy lessons are plentiful, however.

I must say I didn't enjoy this movie as much as I hoped I would. It was more on the voodoo and ritualistic side than any film by the makers of the "CANE" movies, but its candidness did appeal to me. However about an hour into it I lost interest and didn't finish the rest of it. Another thing is that it felt too fake, sometimes it was too obvious. But if you would like something to spark the imagination and have too much time on your hands, you'll like it.

This is one of the better of the "mondo" flicks to be produced. The film deals mainly with African tribal magic, and life in general, but also shows a lot of interesting sights the world over. Emphasis here is on graphic and violent footage, and sex, as there is quite a bit of fairly graphic footage, although overall, it does not seem to truly exploit this footage, it merely shows a world quite different from the one that "civilized" man lives in. In doing this, the film creates much more of an impact, and is quite an interesting and sometimes educational film for viewers who can handle it.

From a ethnographic perspective, these "staged" performances are rare glimpse into tribal customs that were, in essence, an adaptation to the land. Hunter gatherer societies around the world, have been "practicing" their lifestyles for over 40 000 years.

I viewed the 93min Italian dialog version, and I do not speak the language so relied on the "archival footage" to tell the story. I will leave it to the viewer to discern between the real and "fake" footage.

The anthropologist/documenter, is still the "guest" amongst these tribes, and as such, has the rights, roles and responsibilities of an uninitiated child. And are only shown the everyday world of these people and not their secret sacred lifestyle.

The "perfect circumcision" is a result of practices that surpass the written record. eg Aborigines in the desert regions of Australia practice circumcision and subincision.

I think you will find these tribes in Africa are no longer living there traditionally. (I hope I am wrong!) What was their land, has too much gold, diamonds, and those rare elements that are needed for mobile technology, and as such, has been taken over by governments and corporations.

Some might say exploitation I say culturally significant