Embrace of the Serpent
Composite Score: 83.67
Starring: Nilbio Torres, Jan Bijvoet, Antonio Bolívar, Brionne Davis, Miguel Dionisio Ramos, Luigi Sciamanna, and Nicolás Cancino
Director: Ciro Guerra
Writers: Ciro Guerra and Jacques Toulemonde Vidal
Genres: Adventure, Biography, Drama
MPAA Rating: NR
Box Office: $3.22 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
Embrace of the Serpent is a fictional account based on the travel diaries of Theodor Koch Grünberg and Richard Evans Schultes about Karamakate, an indigenous guide who leads both men, forty years apart, on a journey along the Amazon to find a plant that is sacred to his now dying people. The film pays homage to the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, many of whom have now died out and/or become assimilated into larger nonnative cultures, focusing its story on Karamakate and his interactions with nature and with the men he journeys with. Though both stories follow a parallel track, each is unique in its content, with one focused on the impact of colonialism and rubber plantations on native peoples and their perceptions of foreigners and the other focused on postcolonial exploitation of the Amazon and the need to preserve its resources. Together, the film crafts a poignant tale of preservation, the sanctity of life, and the often unanticipated impact of human intervention in various environments.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Embrace of the Serpent is not a film that has a lot to bash. It looks great, its message is necessary and correct, and it accomplishes its goal in an entertaining and informative fashion. For this particular film, I should perhaps rename this section “Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film a lot?” For me, one watch is enough for now. A few years from now, I might revisit the film or show it to friends or family, but I feel like this is not a film that was made to be watched and rewatched. It is a film that exists to evoke a response from its audience, and it did that for me. Now, if you watch it once and don’t get it, it might be worth giving it a more immediate rewatch because I believe that Ciro Guerra’s message in this film is one that is undeniably important and impactful.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
I honestly don’t know what else there is to say about Embrace of the Serpent without giving too much away, and I think this is a film that deserves to be explored like the Amazon wilderness that forms the setting for its adventures. I will say that both performers for Karamakate – the younger Nilbio Torres and the older Antonio Bolívar – do an excellent job of capturing the character that Guerra created for the film. Torres’s performance has all the raw frustration of a young man witnessing the death of his people, still with a dwindling sense of hope that perhaps they can be saved and the foreigners can be taught. Conversely, Bolívar brings a sense of resignation to the character that only forty years of near solitude can bring, lacking the fire of his younger counterpart but carrying the mystery and wisdom needed to serve as a spiritual guide rather than a physical one to his foreign charge. Together, the men craft a memorable portrayal of the generational frustrations of the people of the Amazon while still feeling like an individual and not merely a monolith of the cultures.
Torres and Bolívar lead Embrace of the Serpent along its path of beautiful cinematography and thematic excellence with their dual performance as Karamakate in Ciro Guerra’s adaptation of two men’s travel diaries, earning the film a spot among the Greatest Films of All Time. Its heaviness and impact are not necessarily designed for multiple viewings or casual watches, but audiences who allow themselves to be transported within the film will find its unquestionable impact and importance. It is currently available to stream with ads on Tubi or to rent on most streaming platforms if you are looking to give it a shot.
