Keep the River on Your Right: A Modern Cannibal Tale (2000)
In 1955, Tobias Schneebaum disappeared into the depths of the Peruvian Amazon. He had no guide, no map, and only the vaguest of instructions: Keep the river on your right. A year later Schneebaum emerged from the jungle…naked, covered in body paint, and a modern-day cannibal. Titled after Schneebaum’s 1969 cult classic memoir about his formative experiences living in the Amazon, Keep The River On Your Right is the extraordinary stranger-than-fiction story of Schneebaum’s return to the jungle, 45 years after his original visit, to reunite with the very tribesmen he loved and who gave him nightmares for nearly half a century. A deeply affecting and searing portrait, sibling filmmakers Laurie and David Shapiro capture a man in utter conflict, a fearless adventurer, and one of the most charming, enigmatic, and perplexing men ever captured on screen.
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Wow! Such a good movie.
What a beautiful movie!
Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.
One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
One word in the title makes for unfortunate marketing... but once that hiccup passed, this is a very beautiful and thoughtful film.The profound story of a strangely unique, yet average, man. Dealing with the dichotomy of civilised vs primitive. The dichotomy between the jungle of New York City and the jungles of Peru and Papua New Guinea. But which is really the 'civilised' one? The dichotomy about time which passes, but at the same time doesn't. The dichotomy of fear and strength. The dichotomy of love and loneliness.In the end, a film about the very fundamentals of life, as experienced by an intelligent and perceptive man.
As so many that come across this film, I was intrigued with the subtitle "A Modern Cannibal Tale." Unlike a lot of those who write their reviews angered that cannibalism is not the primary focus of the documentary, I was still enthralled. "Keep the River On Your Right" is not unlike the inspirational journeys of "The Human Experience" or even "Into the Wild." That the doc follows the man who lived these experiences decades later as he revisits the primitive locales only further underlines the profound impacts his travels had on his life and makes the contrast even more stark.If you're a teenager expecting a snuff film, then yes, you will be disappointed. Even more so if you're inclined to turn your nose up at homosexuality or same-sex relationships. You'll be disappointed and most likely you will write your scathing review on Netflix or IMDb about how you have no interest in watching a movie about an "old gay guy." Those that are open enough to listen to Tobias Schneebaum's recollections and personal discoveries will find themselves pondering whether current society or the primitive savages are more barabaric in existence and practices. Much can be learned about ourselves if we take the opportunity to learn from those different from us. That theory proved true for Schneebaum in his travels. Give the film a chance with a corrected idea of what to expect going in and it will prove true for you as well.
I read Schneebaum's book (same title as this film) when it was first published and was deeply moved by his ability to see through the many ways of "otherness" (his own and the people of the Amazon with whom he lived and loved) to a way of living a decent life. His subsequent books were not as powerful, but showed his continuing quest. His description of his sexual relations with the men of the tribe was way ahead of its time in the early 60's, but his honesty and openness about it were welcome. This movie beautifully conveys both the quirkiness and generosity of the man, but also provides a glimpse into the inevitable destruction of innocence (which is not a morally positive term, in this case) that occurs when "civilized" men intrude on traditional societies. Even so, Schneebaum himself has moved into a kind of higher innocence that suggests the possibility of saving humanity from its own destructiveness.
Certainly, this movie is a great documentary. The juxtaposition of places and footage makes it interesting, and the soundtrack adds to it, but the movie itself comes off as laughable. First, the film is unreasonably long. For as much as the film attempts to cover, one can't help but wonder when the film will end. It could end in about five places, and none would be any too soon. It's a stretch and is abrupt when it ends in a still-frame.I'm a polite man, but my friend kept checking his watch throughout the feature. Reminiscent of the Timex Indiglo ads occurring in movie houses, rating films with anti-star 'flashes,' each flash being a check of the watch, this movie would be about a fifteen for my friend. Also, when one puts the film style aside, some annoyance comes from the subject himself. The old man is constantly moaning about his hip possibly breaking again. My friend's response to that was that he would have dropped Schoenbaum in the jungle had he been in the crew. Personally, I found the old man whiny some moments and a beautiful inspiration at others.Parts of this film reminded me of a Book-of-the-month club commercial, if such organization did commercials. Except it's all for Tobias Schneebaum. In addition, the animated stills from the over-touted picture-book were downright tacky.All in all, the film was long-winded and schizophrenic. At times the juxtaposition was genius, but at others, and far too often, it was confusing and downright annoying. So if you want to see a film about a 'beautiful, old man' reluctantly stumbling his way through his old haunts, _River_ is for you, but if your local art cinema carries more than one film, I suggest seeing that one.