Serpent and the Rainbow, The (1987)
Starring: Bill Pullman, Cathy Tyson, Zakes Mokae
Director: Wes Craven
Synopsis: The dark world of voodoo and mysticism explored in this fact based horror tale directed with style by Wes Craven
Reviewed by: Ali Khan

The Serpent and the Rainbow represented Wes Craven moving on after A Nightmare on Elm Street. It was around this time (1988) that Freddy Kruger has spawned a couple of sequels and had transformed from a genuinely scary character to a more comic book teen icon that Craven came out with Serpent.

The film represents a more serious development of some of the ideas that the first Nightmare introduced. Rather than repetition, Craven applies techniques that he used in Nightmare, to a more realistic environment. The result is a superior horror film that takes itself seriously but doesn't come across as over indulgent.

The story revolves around Harvard anthropologist Dr. Allen (Bill Pullman) who is sent to Haiti to retrieve a mysterious powder which causes the living to 'mimic' all the symptoms of the dead and yet actually 'return to life' when the powder's affects where off. The premise plunges Allen into the nightmarish world of Voodoo, zombification, blood rites, ancient curses, hallucinations and witch doctors.

All this set against the terrifying backdrop of Duvaliers Ton Ton Macoute run dictatorship. Based on the true-life experiences of an anthropologist the Serpent and the Rainbow was shot on location in Haiti. Craven does an excellent job of recreating the atmosphere of political repression, fear and mistrust and blending it with the world of black magic and the supernatural.

The film repeatedly explores central anthropological beliefs - science, religion and magic and the conflicts and boundaries between them. There is also a look into the blurring of boundaries - the uneasy world of the in-between - the blurring between Catholicism and Voodoo and of course the theme of the undead. Craven heaps on the atmosphere and is helped along by the horrifying premise of watching oneself being considered dead and consequently experiencing being buried alive.

"Don't let them bury me, I'm not dead" pleads Pullman as he falls into the undead state. The ensuing buried alive scene is suitable claustrophobic. The film is tightly directed, beautifully shot with the vivid colours of Haitian society being well represented and is backed up by a suitably atmospheric score. There is also some strong acting from the ever reliable Pullman and a brilliant performance by Zakes Mokae as the chilling head of the Haitian secret police. A serious, superior horror film, strong on atmosphere and low on gore.