Customer Reviews

Keep the River on Your Right - A Modern Cannibal Tale

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

In 1955, Manhattan artist Tobias Schneebaum traveled to Peru on a Fulbright scholarship. He visited a remote Dominican mission, where he allowed curiosity about the local tribespeople to lure him into the jungle. He spent seven months in the jungle with the Amarekaire people (now called Harakambut), who were cannibals, and was presumed dead. But he emerged from the jungle no longer interested in an artist's career, deciding to pursue anthropology instead. In 1969, he wrote a book, "Keep the River on Your Right", about his experiences in the Amazon jungle. Schneebaum went on to live among the headhunting Asmat of New Guinea, as well. The extraordinary thing is that these cultures accepted him. This film tells the story of Tobias Schneebaum's unusual adventures in his own words and takes him back to Peru, at the age of 78, to find the tribespeople whom he had not seen in 45 years.

It's difficult to know how to rate this film, because it is a poorly crafted film about an interesting subject. The film's nonsensical organization obstructs most of the narrative. Its camera work leaves something to be desired. "Keep the River on Your Right" starts out in the present, then flashes back to some point in the recent past when Schneebaum visited the Asmat people in New Guinea, with whom he had lived in the 1970s. Then we learn about his life as an artist in New York. Then about his childhood. At the film's halfway point, we still have no idea where his infamous Peruvian adventure, from which the film takes its name, fits in or how Schneebaum came to be such a dogged adventurer. The second half is better. Schneebaum returns to Peru at the filmmakers' urging to recount his experience of 45 years before and to search for any Amarekaire who might remember him. Returning to scenes of past trauma, film crew in tow, has somehow become fashionable among documentary filmmakers. Tobias Schneebaum is a mild-mannered man who is afraid of dead mice but fearless among cannibals and headhunters who were strangers to him. His story is interesting, even if "Keep the River on Your Right" makes it difficult to follow.

The DVD: Bonus features include deleted scenes, a photo gallery, sketches by Tobias Schneebaum, a "Jungle Journey" book excerpt, a Tobias Schneebaum biography, and a bio of the filmmakers. There are 9 deleted scenes, most of which are not actually new scenes, but slightly more footage of scenes that were in the movie. They're not worth watching. The Photo Gallery features 10 photographs, some of which are of Schneebaum in his youth before he went to Peru. "Jungle Journey" is a children's book written in 1959 by Mary Britton Miller, inspired by Schneebaum's jungle experience, which he illustrated. A few pages of the book are included. The bios are text.

Originally released as "Once I was a Cannibal", this is a documentary about Tobias Scheenbaum, a 78 year old gay man, who traveled to New Guinea and Peru in the fifties and has some weird and wild tales to tell. Mr. Scheenbaum lives in Manhattan, gives lectures about his travels at museums and tourist ships and has written several books about his experiences. Now, filmmakers David and Laurie Shapiro have created this film which has won several awards among independent filmmakers. They travel back to New Guinea and Peru with him and the audience sees that many of the people of these regions remember Mr. Scheenbaum with affection. One of the New Guinea men used to be his lover. Then, they travel back to Peru, where Mr. Scheenbaum recalls going on a hunt with the tribesmen that resulted in murder and cannibalism. And, yes, he did sample a bit of human flesh.

Mr. Scheenbaum is articulate and witty and a good storyteller. He's speaks openly about his homosexuality and there is a lot of introspection about his experience of cannibalism. He's written several books on the subject and we see film clips from excerpts from talk shows he's been on through the years. While I found the movie interesting, I had a big problem with it. It's all about Mr. Scheenbaum. It's not about the people of New Guinea or Peru. I guess I was hoping for an anthropological film. I wanted to know more about the tribe in New Guinea than the fact that Mr. Scheenbaum had male lovers. I wanted to know what the meaning of cannibalism had in the rituals of the people of Peru. I wanted to know about both these tribes' religious customs, marriage rituals, burial practices, etc. In short, I wanted to take my own trip into the rainforest and learn about the way of these people.

Alas, this was not to happen. This was a film about Tobias Scheenbaum and his own filters through which he viewed his experiences. It's all about him, not the people he came in contact with. And that, to me was the weakness of the film. I just wish that some filmmakers would want to do a film about the fast-disappearing non-literate cultures of the world without making it a celebration to the enlightening experiences of an American. There's stuff out there about the real people in New Guinea and Peru that is indeed worthwhile to film. This is a not a bad film for what it is. There's nice film footage of New Guinea and the rainforest. The documentary techniques are professional. And the viewer comes away with some insights into the persona of Tobias Scheenbaum. But I cannot hide my disappointment in wanting something more.

The filmmakers trailed Tobias Schneebaum, an artist turned anthropologist, back to the villages and lands where he worked over 40 years ago. It was fascinating to retrace Schneebaum's steps through Papua New Guinea, as well as the in the jungles of Peru. I was amazed at the courage and strength of a man in his 70s climbing Machu Pichu, and braving the rainforests of New Guinea in order to find old friends.

The talk show footage from the 1960s/1970s was particularly interesting to me. The talk show host was very interested in the aspects of this "primitive" culture, and persisted with prejudiced questions. Mr. Schneebaum spoke for the people he studied, and helped people understand that they are no different.

One qualm I had was the movie's subtitle: A Modern Cannibal's Tale. I felt that it was not a major part of the movie, and that the directors made a big deal out of it. Was it for marketing: Cannibals always sell? I do not think that a few isolated incidences of cannibalism make someone a life-long cannibal. It was silly to even put the word in the title. The movie offers so much more.

This is a great portray of the life of Tobias, a painter from New York who discovered a passion for tribal people, and who did crazy things like walking for 8 days in the Amazon jungle to meet a tribe he heard had just killed a whole other village. He experienced cannibalism, and later, living with a tribe in Papua New Guinea, found a home since homossexuality was respected there, and he, a homossexual himself, found love there. The film shows Tobias going back to N.Guinea and Peru over 40 years after these events and meeting old friends and memories. What a brilliant life. No wonder he says he is ready to die.

In the wrong hands, even the astonishing can be dull. What Tobias Schneebaum did transcends our wildest imagination - an act of pure daring and liberty. A dyed-in-the-wool NYC egghead, painter, and amateur anthropologist, he shed the trappings of society as we know it and lost himself in primitivism - not once but twice. His first episode was in Peru, in the 50's. Walking alone in the jungle, Schneebaum simply "fell in" with a headhunting tribe called the Amarekaire and lived as they did for a year. This involved cannibalism, participating in a murderous rampage, and multiple homosexual encounters - which suited him nicely, since he was already "out." (Indeed it must be observed that Mr. Schneebaum's instinct for finding primitive cultures that actively practice homosexuality is unswerving.)

Returning home, Schneebaum became something of a minor celebrity, and we see clips of him telling his mind-boggling tale on talk shows, college campuses, and cruise ships. Not content with one such experience, he repeated his feat in Papua New Guinea, where he lived among the Asmat, another headhunting tribe who, as luck would have it, practice a rather enthusiastic form of multiple-partner homosexuality, (in addition to participating in heterosexuality for purposes of procreation).

That Schneebaum survived these surreal escapades is stunning, but a great story is not a great movie, and Keep The River On Your Right is just dreadful. The central problem, beyond the various inadequacies of its directors, David and Laurie Shapiro, is the man himself, Tobias Schneebaum. Schneebaum is on camera a lot, we are subjected to his lugubrious, plodding, and thoroughly insipid delivery ad nauseum until secretly we wish the cannibals had put him on the menu. It is as if Schneebaum's ability to blend in with these headhunting tribes, so thoroughly foreign to his own culture, came about as the result of an absolute lack of personality, character, will, or self. There is something disturbing, even creepy, about Schneebaum's passivity, he is able to watch the Amarekaire headhunters slaughter a rival tribe, and participate in the event, because "that's what they did."

Schneebaum's adventures may thrill, Schneebaum does not. This kills the picture because the aging Schneebaum, 78 when we meet him, is the film's centerpiece. That his adventures are useless from an anthropological standpoint is totally ignored, in much the same way that Grizzly Man ignores the way Timothy Treadwell put the bears in danger while risking his own life. All that remains to redeem this film is some nice location footage from New Guinea and Peru. Sadly, Keep The River On Your Right fails here too. Instead of giving viewers a sense of what these otherworldly experiences must have looked and felt like, we see ragged remnants. Watching a toothless retired headhunter in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt, Bermuda shorts, and flip flops watching I Love Lucy re-runs piped in from a satellite dish may tell us a lot about how totally insane our world is, but it tells us nothing about Mr. Schneebaum's experience.

Perhaps the greatest value of the film is that it will give you a newfound respect for screenwriters, actors, cinematographers, and actual directors. In the hands of professionals, the astounding truth of Tobias Schneebaum might have been revealed, instead of the dreary facts.

Tobias Schneebaum was a talented young painter whose life was transforned when he went to Peru on a Fulbright scholarship in 1955. Tobias ended up visiting a Catholic mission in the Amazon and from there began a jungle trek to find the cannibalistic Harakambuts. Tobias lived with the tribe for 7 months and even went with them on a violent raid of an enemy tribe where he observed people being killed in warfare. He also participated in a Harakambut ritual which involved the eating of human flesh. Upon his return to the modern world Tobias found himself unable to paint but he continued to follow his interest in primal societies, also spending substanial time with the Asmat tribe of New Guinea.

This documentary recounts Tobias' previous experiences while also taking him back to Peru and New Guinea to visit the tribal societies he had once lived with. The movie also juxtaposes Tobias' life in Manhattan with the life and culture of the tribes. For example, an Indonesian circumsison ritual is depicted as is Tobias' attending of a family celebration on a Jewish holiday. I especially loved the part which showed a New Guinea man, in full tribal regalia, attending an auction to sell tribal art to New York collectors. Tobias translated that the man was enjoying his trip because he liked the culture of New York. Talk about being a "stranger in a strange world" - just amazing!. Still the point seemed to be that the the core qualities we share as fellow human beings are so much stronger and deeply rooted than the superfical differences that separate us.

But really this doc is less an in-depth anthropological study than a celebration of the incredible life of Tobias Schneebaum. Though he gave up painting, Tobias continued throughout his life to exemplify the attitude and perspective of an artist, as he searched endlessly for the type of life force and vitality that he experienced most intensely while livng with the Harakambut and Asmat peoples. I found him to be a fascinating, even heroic, character and hope that other people are able to enjoy the same level of pleasure and insight that I did with this great documentary.

What a wonderful film by this brother-sister team - especially deserving of its many awards. (I think they won the Independent Spirit Awards best documentary, because I recall seeing the directors on that show.) Tobias schneebaum is truly an extraordinary man - and this reverse journey from his present to his past is sort of a reverse odysessy. The previous reviewer is missing the point - this film is not about indigine=ous peoples or anyone else - its about one man - and the directors have him in practically every frame - a wise choice. Only a few people could keep my interest for the length of a movie. Exceptional.

I felt this was an extremly satisfying movie to see. If felt very complete. You can read elsewhere that the directors drug a reluctant 79 year old Schneebaum back to what was left of his past. It's the real surprises that add to an already great doc and subject. As the subject of the film, Mr. Shneebaum is a facinating person. Your first perception of him in the begining is of an elderly New Yorker that would seem to look out of place anywhere outside of Manhattan. You come to learn that his perception of the world around him and acceptance of the moment enable him to travel freely into places where western explorers only venture with several weeks worth of supplies. This man did it with canvas deck shoes, a t-shirt, and shorts.
Possibly becouse of his unconventional acceptance of the obviuos, he is able to relate to the indiginous peoples of New Guinea and Peru.
Though he protests searching further for people and villages that must not have survived, the directors push him forward; and to great reward. They actually find some of the people he wrote about. This finally gives legitamacy to his books which have been long critisied for actually have ever happened. The satisfaction of seeing him find the people he thinks must have been long dead is akin to finally seeing an alien in a UFO documentary.
Another unexpected surprise is the almost chance meeting of a long lost lover that he had said goodbye to for the last time many years ago. This presents an amazingly touchig situation where Shneebaum has to once again say goodbye for the final time as both are in their late years.
Footage of interveiws from the 60's - 70's realy drive this film home. Chauncey talk show hosts seem to dismiss this person who has done something few people have, instead obcessing on his dismissal of social morays and acceptance of living with and approaching people on their terms. Every interveiwer seems to miss the point over and over again, at times it seems like Shneebaum who answers questions with a buddhist like calmness is the only sane person on stage.
If you are looking for a movie about cannibalism or homosexuality, this is not it. These two things have about as much relevence to the movie as what day of the week he was born on. See this movie to see a refreshing look at people and the impact of westernism. If you want to laugh you will laugh, if you want to cry you will cry. If you want to be rightous and indignant than you will be afforded that chance as well.

Based on the movie description, I was anticipating more info/footage regarding Peruvian head hunters. Considering they dub the narrator a "modern day cannibal", I expected that he fell into the practice of eating human flesh as an on-going practice. Technically, he did eat a small amount of human flesh once, and it seems that he did it somewhat reluctantly. The first 45 minutes of the movie is focused on Tobias Schneebaum(a NY, Jewish, Mr. Roper look-a-like) and his apparent sexual fascination with primitive black men. It slowly covers his time he spent in New Guinea and Peru, but too much of the movie seems to focus on Tobias and not on the subjects he studied. The latter part of the movie is a little more interesting when he visits peru 40+ years after his original visit and finds that some people still remember him, however, I didn't find the majority of the movie terribly interesting.

This film is an excellent documentary about the life of the late Tobias Schneebaum, which features a segment on his time in Peru and his cannibalism experience. This film also includes segments about Schneebaum's research into homosexuality in "primitive" societies.

If you are looking for a film focusing on cannibalism, then look elsewhere.