Slave Trade in the World Today (1964)
The film documents modern slave trade through a number of African countries, under dictatorship rule. The filming was conducted both in public places, and sometimes with the use of hidden cameras, for high impact scenes of nudity, sex, and violence - and a few surprises, as slaves made out of peregrins to Asia, and slave traders paid in traveller checks.
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It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.
While slavery still, and always will, exist, this is not what you may expect.Of course the usual clips of Africans being sold to Europeans are here. And that's the part most people seem to be aware of. That doesn't happen as much anymore, but it's still a lesson to be learned.Another focus is on the woman trade. A lot of Arab auctions being shown here. Ladies being bid on so they can be wives, servants, sex fun, or what have you. The exploitation shows itself here with the obvious breast fetish.Another spot on Africa shows men buying young ladies from their families. Similar stuff is shown in Asia too. Especially the child buyers in Thailand, and the prostitution houses in China. The point here is that despite the talk, white people weren't the only slave owners.Seeing children being bought and sold was sad to see. Similar footage was in "Shocking Africa." The best parts were the law enforcement groups rounding up some of the slavery rings. Seeing guys get caught red-handed with their victims was an uplifter.An insight into a dirty world.
Like many of the 'mondo' films made in the wake of the smash success of Mondo Cane (1962), The Slave Trade In the World Today treads a thin line between muckraking journalism and lascivious voyeurism. Begun by one of the godfathers of the genre, Folco Quilici, and completed by the Malenotti brothers, Slave Trade includes some gut wrenching and heartbreaking footage of young Africans in bondage. It also includes an inordinate amount of footage of topless women, and even when those women do not seem to be posing for the camera, the camera lingers on their breasts, especially if their owners are engaged in a dance or ceremony that involves shaking. There's also belly dancing, exotic dancing, and strip tease, none of which have much to do with slavery. Nonetheless, the film manages to maintain a serious air and ends with some fascinating and moving footage of west Africans paying homage to their brothers and sisters sold into slavery across the Atlantic.