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Mondo Cane

R Released Apr 3, 1963 1h 45m Documentary List
50% Tomatometer 10 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A documentary that shocked many viewers at the time of its release, this film presents scenes from across the globe that feature strange rituals. Animal slaughter and bizarre religious ceremonies are among the many events in the movie, which also exhibits cuisine that is highly unconventional to the Western palate. The collage-like production covers a lot of ground, both literally and figuratively, in depicting unusual cultural practices from around the world.

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Mondo Cane

Critics Reviews

View All (10) Critics Reviews
John Russell Taylor Sight & Sound Perhaps sadistic and masochistic impulses are better worked off in the cinema than in life; and in such terms Mondo Cane is a film which may or may not amuse you. Mar 6, 2020 Full Review Clyde Gilmour Maclean's Magazine One or two episodes in each arc worth seeing, but sick sadism and sophomoric flippancy are dominant... Oct 7, 2019 Full Review Steve Crum Video-Reviewmaster.com A quasi-documentary best remembered for the beautiful theme song "More." Rated: 3/5 Mar 31, 2006 Full Review Randy Shulman Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) Rated: 4/5 Jul 22, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 4/5 Jun 16, 2005 Full Review Philip Martin Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Rated: 2/5 May 20, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (93) audience reviews
Audience Member This is still the quintessential "Shockumentary"- a documentary showing some pretty graphic and gruesome scenes. If you have a strong stomach, watch this flick, but if you have any hesitations- hold back. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review William L The Mondo genre sucks, and this founder and namesake of the 'movement' is no exception. The barest semblance of a documentary that fabricates events and twists anything genuine for pure shock value and nothing else. Though the word really didn't exist in the context of film at the time of release, it's exploitative in a tremendously obvious way that makes it appear completely without value as a film ("heh heh, here's some tits in Africa, heh"), rendering even the authentic components and contemporary depictions of various cultures questionable by association. It's also not much to speak of from a technical perspective, being shocking slow for a film that bases its entire identity on being a roughly cobbled-together collection of scenes of base entertainment. The film only really serves as a litmus test for what passed as entertainment in the period, where the popular consciousness laid, and in its inspiration of a torrent of imitators. If you ever wanted to see a naked Yakuza member in one of those vibrating-belt exercise machines, I can safely vouch that you will probably have your weirdly targeted fetish satsified. (1/5) Rated 1 out of 5 stars 05/28/21 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. This "shockumentary" has some unbelievable things captured on film. Many seem legitimate and others seem too much. Regardless, it is unforgettable for its exaggeration, xenophobia and shock value. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member It's a dog's movie. Put the director back into his gorilla cage Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Mondo Cane is a movie with its big problems. Nonetheless, the concept of shockumentary possesses an immense - largely unexplored and underestimated - political and analytical potential. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review simon d This documentary is a collection of short articles about bizarre practices that take place across the world. Some are interesting, some have since become common knowledge since this film was made, and, of course, some are smattered with animal cruelty which used to sell horror films in this era, a common gimmick used particularly by Italians. So, while this probably is worth a watch (particularly for the German beer drinking section) you do have to turn away for some scenes and try to ignore the quite racist narration. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Mondo Cane

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Movie Info

Synopsis A documentary that shocked many viewers at the time of its release, this film presents scenes from across the globe that feature strange rituals. Animal slaughter and bizarre religious ceremonies are among the many events in the movie, which also exhibits cuisine that is highly unconventional to the Western palate. The collage-like production covers a lot of ground, both literally and figuratively, in depicting unusual cultural practices from around the world.
Director
Gualtiero Jacopetti, Paolo Cavara
Screenwriter
Gualtiero Jacopetti, Paolo Cavara
Distributor
Times Film Corporation
Production Co
Cineriz
Rating
R
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 3, 1963, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 18, 2014
Runtime
1h 45m
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