Plot: What’s it about?
This kind of movie doesn’t lend itself to much of a synopsis, since there is no real plot to speak of, at least not in the usual sense. A man named Arthur Davis produced & directed Brutes and Savages, a project which began because of two incidents. Davis returned from an excursion to South America with memories of unusual sights and the cult cinema scene was all worked up over Mondo Cane. That movie showcased a wealth of cultural events, some more shocking than others, as a sort of travelogue of the more bizarre side of the world. Davis sensed he could cash in if he moved into his own productions of that kind and so he began work on Brutes and Savages, which was no simple task. The areas he visited weren’t kind to visitors with cameras, or so he claimed, though his footage would reveal otherwise. You can’t take such careful photography with a hidden camera, as the visuals here are too planned. Davis also crammed in all kinds of fake footage and staged his own recreations, in order to spice up the experience. Brutes and Savages never won over the grindhouse audiences however, perhaps due to the various censors that trimmed out some of the more graphic sequences. But for a glimpse into the more savage, uncivilized world around us, simply gaze into Brutes and Savages.
After the release of Mondo Cane, the grindhouse theaters were hit with a rush of movies looking to cash in on the trend. But while Mondo Cane and a select few other “mondo” pictures became notorious shockers, most of the clones turned out to be poorly crafted and came & went with minimal fanfare. One such movie was Brutes and Savages, which was produced by Arthur Davis (Budo: The Art of Killing) to turn a quick buck based on Mondo Cane’s success. Davis ventures to exotic locales, shot some hidden camera footage and for the really shocking stuff, staged (not so) elaborate reenactments, or more to the point, obviously fake sequences. But in fairness, fans of these kind of films should be used to the fake stuff, as poorly executed shock scenes can be seen in countless genre efforts. The Faces of Death series is loaded with false deaths, but that just adds to the fun in some cases. Brutes and Savages has some laughable moments, but it also has some shocks, such as the frequent animal violence. Those scenes are sure to disturb viewers, but that is the intent, so its not like people expect a tame experience here. Synapse’s DVD includes fifteen minutes of restored footage also, which means all the more mayhem. While I can’t recommend this release to everyone, if you’re a diehard fan of mondo cinema, then Synapse’s Uncivilized Version of Brutes and Savages is worth a look.
Video: How does it look?
Brutes and Savages is presented in a windowboxed presentation, to ensure the maximum level of visible material. As the insert booklet states, the film was shown theatrically, but the compositions were clearly shot with no regard to a widescreen presentation. If you crop the image to even 1.78:1, you lose what little visual composition is present and in this case, the material needs all the help it can muster. This treatment is top notch, at times even pristine and Synapse deserves immense credit for their work here. The print is often flawless, with a razor sharp image that defies the film’s age and origins. And when I say flawless, I mean perfect and almost three dimensional at times, simply incredible work. Some scenes drop a few notches, including some with a prominent red line later in the movie, but for the most part, this is an excellent presentation. So kudos to Synapse for going the extra mile on such a low profile release.
Audio: How does it sound?
As this is a low rent mono movie, the audio is rather limited and as such, the included mono soundtrack is adequate. The narration of Richard Johnson is clean and crisp, as are what other bits and pieces of dialogue emerge here. This movie simply isn’t that audio driven, it relies more on visuals to provide the experience. So not much attention was paid to the soundtrack in production, which puts a damper on how good it all sounds. I have no real complaints however, as the elements seem in fine, if limited working order. The highlight of the entire production is the musical score, which was composed by Riz Ortolani. This is by no means his best work, but it fits the material to perfection and is fun to listen to. Aside from the expected signs of age & wear, this soundtrack is solid and fans should be satisfied.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes excerpts from Davis’ expedition diaries, as well as the film’s original theatrical trailer.
