sol- Asked by a European scientist to track down a plant with reputed curative powers, an elderly native Amazonian recalls how he helped another Caucasian man on a similar quest four decades earlier in this Oscar nominated drama from Colombia. The film is lusciously shot in black and white with excellent attention to on-location sound and the performances of the four main players are very strong as the film flips between the present-day and past adventures as recalled by the Amazonian. Several interesting ideas surface in the first half of the film as the past scientist expresses reluctance to leave his compass behind with an indigenous tribe, lest it change their culture and understanding of the world, while at the same time oblivious to the fact that his own very presence is enough to provide a rift in their world. Is not, however, until over an hour in that the film truly takes off as the present-day scientist visits a tribe where the missionaries have been ironically crucified and a fake messiah (dressed to look like traditional images of Jesus no less) is worshipped. While this religious fanaticism angle sadly only lasts for around half an hour, it remains the high point of the movie, highlighting just how detrimental European presence has the potential to be in the untouched wild with the "worst of both worlds" come together. This might not be the easiest film to endure with deliberate pacing and many periods of sparse dialogue, but the impression it leaves is hard to shake.

beardondillon-64378 Embrace Of The Serpent is a film about an amazonian shaman played by Nilbio Torres and two scientist looking for a plant that could supposedly heal people and they have to work with the shaman to try and find it.lets get this out of the way first, this movie is so gorgeously shot, there is this one tracking shot that transitions the two scientist together and it stunning. it was also so well acted, i actually did not see actors, i saw real men talking to each other and real men arguing and i forgot i was watching a movie, the best performance in this film was the older shaman played excellently by Antonio Bolivar.this movie has a non linear story line and i got so involved with these characters and the world they are in witch made this film perfect for me.A+

Hellmant 'EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT': Four Stars (Out of Five) The critically acclaimed Colombian historical drama flick; about the relationships between an Amazonian shaman (who's the last survivor of his people) and two different scientists (in the 1909 and 1940 Amazon). The film is based on the diaries of the two scientists, it depicts in the movie (Theodor Koch-Grunberg and Richard Evans Schultes). It was directed by acclaimed Colombian filmmaker Ciro Guerra, and it was written by Guerra and Jacques Toulemonde Vidal. The film has a 99% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar (at the 2016 Academy Awards). I enjoyed it as well.Karamakate (played by Nilbio Torres and Antonio Bolivar, at different ages) is the last surviving member of his people. He lives in the Amazon, and protects it from intruders. In 1909 he's greeted by a German scientist, named Theo (Jan Bijvoet), who's looking for a sacred plant called yakruna. Karamakate reluctantly helps him. 40-years later he's approached by an American scientist, named Evan (Brionne Davis), who's looking for the same thing.The film was beautifully shot in the Amazonia region of Columbia, and it's gloriously presented in black-and-white visuals. It's both visually stunning to watch, and bizarrely strange to experience. The movie has a really classic feel to it, and the subject matter is involving (and quite disturbing) at times. I didn't really care for all of the performances in it though; it was made on a budget of just $1.4 million, and sometimes that shows (especially with the acting). Still, it is a very fascinating (and extremely weird) movie!Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/lcZBQp0HBZg

CinemaClown Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at Academy Awards this year, Embrace of the Serpent is an art-house feature that offers its viewers a journey back in time into the very heart of the Amazon rainforest while painting an absorbing portrait of the indigenous culture that was destroyed by colonial invaders.The story of Embrace of the Serpent covers two sets of events, one taking place in 1909 while the other occurs in 1940. Both segments concern an Amazonian shaman who happens to be the last of his tribe, and covers his relationship with two scientists who are determined to find a rare sacred plant that has healing properties.Directed by Ciro Guerra, the film carves a fictional but highly original tale from the real-life accounts of the two scientists whose works have made a valuable contribution to the study of indigenous people of South America. Guerre's direction is commendable, for he has crafted this tale with elegance and the film as a whole is as thematically rich as it is beautiful to look at.Shot in exotic locations & captured in black n white, its greyscale photography is actually fitting for the premise as well as the depicted timeline. Also, the lack of colours sort of reflect the loss of life from the region that was once home to many indigenous cultures. The camera is used like a silent observer and remains motionless for the most part, except for a few tracking shots, but it does add a serene vibe to the story.Editing nicely intertwines the two story lines that are headed in the same direction, but the pace at which it all unfolds will divide its audience as some will appreciate it while others will be frustrated by its glacial speed. The performances from its cast carry no complaints as everyone chips in with fine contribution in their given roles, but the best input comes from the two actors who play the same character in different segments.On an overall scale, Embrace of the Serpent is deeply meditative in content but it isn't a film for all. There is clearly a certain section of filmgoing audience that it is aimed at plus it caters well to their needs but for me, this Columbian flick was more or less a stationary experience that never shifted gears throughout its runtime. But I don't despise it for sure. All in all, Embrace of the Serpent is worth a shot but it may strike a better chord with art-house enthusiasts.