THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW

US, 1988, 98 minutes, Colour.
Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae, Michael Gough, Paul Winfield.
Directed by Wes Craven.

The Serpent and the Rainbow is allegedly a true story, based on a book by reporter Wade Davis. It was filmed in Haiti and the Dominican Republic - and has a strong atmosphere of the tropics, the islands, the people, the religious atmosphere, voodoo.

The film was directed by Wes Craven, a celebrated veteran director of horror films including The Hills Have Eyes, Deadly Blessing, Nightmare on Elm Street).

Bill Pullman (Accidental Tourist, Spaceballs, Cold Feed) is good as the explorer. Cathy Tyson is the Asian doctor. Paul Winfield is the nightclub owner who is also a voodoo priest. The film is strong on atmospherics, has some horrible nightmare sequences, especially sequences about being buried alive. The film communicates its atmosphere and involves its audience in voodooism as well as horror and nightmares.

The background is the collapse of the Duvalier government in 1985 and the collapse of the Tontons Macoute - this is symbolised by the destruction of the chief of police, and the liberation of the voodoo souls. An image of the liberation of the people of Haiti.

1. Interesting thriller? Mystery and horror? Based on a true story?

2. The use of Haiti and Dominican Republic locations? The contrast with the United States? The good use of locations and atmosphere? Score and mood?

3. The title, voodoo overtones, the rituals, hallucinatory drugs, totems, possession, zombies? The use of drugs for help in the western world - and commercial marketing?

4. The prologue, the death, the burial - alive? Cristoph as a zombie? The information about his background? (And the implication of political use of zombies and the elimination of opposition?) The zombie woman?

5. The Amazon, Dennis and his exploration, the hallucinatory drugs, the jaguar, totem, fighting, making friends with it, the hole in the ground, the burial, his falling, the image of the police chief? Waking, the horror, the dead pilot, his walking out of the jungle? Introduction to Dennis and his adventures?

6. The United States, the chemical company, the chief, the consultant, the commission to search out the zombies, the information given, the hope for healing drugs and anaesthesia?

7. His arrival in Haiti, the atmosphere of voodoo, the Tontons Macoute? The medicine, the visit to the hospital, the doctor? To Lucien and his club? The rituals, the zombies? Cemeteries? The imprisoned souls? The police, the torture? The police chief and his relentlessness? The atmosphere of the Duvalier regime, the revolt of the people, the Duvaliers leaving, the collapse of their power, the people and the uprising, television sequences? The chief of police and his death - and the symbol of the souls being liberated?

8. Dennis and his relationship with the doctor, sharing information, her background, medical experience? Cristoph and the dead woman? Her patients? Lucien, the powder and the dancing? The contact with the maker of the powder, the goat dying and rising? Dennis and his trick with the bottle of powder? The bond between Dennis and the doctor, love?

9. The visit to the cemeteries, Cristoph? Lucien and the marriage ritual? Learning more about the powder, the power? The imprisonment, the chief of police and the torture, stripping, the nails, wanting Dennis to scream?

10. His recuperation, with the doctor, the bond between them? His being captured, the return to the United States? His hallucinations? In Haiti, buried alive, the woman with the snake in her mouth, etc? The meal in the United States, the hostess and the toast, her attempts to kill him, the jaguar totem? The analysis of the results in the U.S? Television news and his return? His friend who made the powder being killed, in prison again, Lucien and his death, Dennis's death, his being buried, the darkness of the grave, his fear, the spider in the coffin, his despair? Screaming, Cristoph digging him out? His staggering through the people, going to the prison, the hallucination with Lucien? The zombie woman and the snake?

12. The confrontation with the chief of police, the rituals in the street and in the prison, the doctor as prisoner, the fight, possessed by the spirit of the jaguar, the powder? Destroying the chief of police, the magic, into the torture chair, the nail going through him, his being swallowed into Hell?

13. The end with Dennis and the doctor, the experience? Voodoo? Horror story? Medical developments?