Slave of the Cannibal God (1978) Movie Script
There she is. Come on.
Mrs. Stevenson, how do you
feel about your husband's
disappearance in the jungle?
- Leave her alone.
Is it
true that the expedition
was not authorized?
- Leave her alone.
Leave her alone.
Please, my sister is very tired.
Is it
true that the expedition
wasn't authorized?
- What are you plans?
Are you going to set up a rescue mission?
Do you think you'll find him alive?
- This is the Malaysian State Radio.
Do you have any statement to the press?
No, no. No statement.
- All efforts of the search
parties in the Marabata jungle
have proved empty
and we have decided to
call off the search.
I'm sorry.
- Your husband's expedition,
as the chief of police
has already told you,
was not authorized by the authorities
of independent Guinea.
And therefore, they had no
kind of contact with him,
not even by radio.
- Your husband was carrying out
his ethnological investigations
without our knowledge or permission.
When your brother informed us
of Mr. Stevenson's
disappearance, we intervened.
If our search was a bit
tardy, that's not our fault.
- I waited here at Port
Moresby one month or more,
until the established
date for him to return.
Also, as you know, my brother-in-law
has a profound knowledge of that area.
So I had no real motive
to be worried about him.
You can never know the jungle well enough.
This clandestine expedition was imprudent,
apart from being an
insult to our government.
- My brother-in-law is a
world-famous scientist.
I think your government
should show special interest
in locating his expedition.
- Air search parties have been out,
looking for signs of life in
the jungle for several days.
If they were perhaps still alive,
they'd have surely attempted some signal.
- Maybe they weren't able.
The jungle is so dense
there's no real chance
to see anything.
We have to organize an
expedition to go into the jungle.
- Look, please keep calm.
We have every intention of helping you
to find Henry Stevenson.
But now, it's up to the local
authorities to organize help
and make all decisions in the matter.
We have done all we can.
- Please help me.
I don't know if Henry's still alive,
but until I'm certain that he's dead
I'll keep on looking for him,
even if I have to do it alone.
- I understand how you feel,
but it's my duty to be honest.
If we have given up, it
is because we are certain
that after three months in that jungle,
there could not possibly be any survivors.
I'm sorry, Consul Burns,
but I have to leave.
- Of course. And thank you.
- Sir, Mrs. Stevenson.
- I think the only
person who could help you
is Professor Edward Foster, he's a Yank.
He's a strange man,
but he has an expert
knowledge of the area.
I suggest you contact him.
- Arthur has been in
touch with him already.
We're seeing him tomorrow.
- Hello.
Mrs. Stevenson?
- Yes.
- I'm Edward Foster.
- Hello.
- Arthur.
- Hello, Edward.
- You're looking well.
- So are you.
Please.
You must excuse the
informality of my house,
but Mother Nature has a
way of taking over here
and I don't feel like arguing with her.
- Henry often mentioned
you in his letters.
He has great respect for you.
- Thank you.
- I'm very happy to meet you.
- Likewise.
Your husband and I were
very close friends.
We shared a mutual interest
in the primitive peoples
of this country.
Of course, that world
is rapidly disappearing.
Eventually, progress and technology
will destroy it completely.
- Tell me...
Do you have any idea where Henry could be?
- I'm not sure.
He was very reserved about
this particular expedition.
Strange.
He told me he was going.
I offered my help, but before
I knew it he was gone.
As far as I know, he left alone.
Maybe with a few natives.
- I just can't understand
why he was so secretive
about this expedition.
And especially with you.
- Yes, I thought about that myself.
But you know, just because
he was so secretive
about this journey gives
me a strong indication
of where he might be.
Come.
Now, this is the Marabata jungle,
the area where they say Henry disappeared.
Look, about five miles
offshore is the island of Roka.
This island is covered
by a very dense jungle,
which surrounds and protects
the sacred mountain of Ra Ra Me.
Sacred, because the local
people and the natives
believe that the mountain is cursed.
- Then that's where he went!
And you've kept quiet
about it all this time?
- What are you talking about?
- Arthur.
Please go on.
- Mrs. Stevenson,
there's something I think you should know.
A few years ago, I was
on that island myself.
Shortly afterwards, I
told Arthur and Henry
about my experiences there.
Henry seemed fascinated by them.
- Yes, I think I remember now.
Henry told me in one of his letters
about a mountain that people
said had a curse on it.
I thought it was just
a silly superstition.
- You'd be surprised how
important that belief is
to those people.
The police won't allow expeditions
into the Marabata jungle.
They don't want anybody near that island.
They say it's because
of conservation reasons.
But the truth of the matter is
they're afraid of the curse, too.
Just like everybody else.
- How did you manage to go there?
- It's a long story, Mrs. Stevenson.
It's purely by chance, really.
I was on a sailing trip
not far off the coast of the island.
I hit a storm.
Before I knew it,
I was shipwrecked on the beach.
Because I knew about
the legend of the curse,
naturally I was curious.
I wanted to get to the
top of that mountain.
I never made it.
- What stopped you?
- Some mysterious force.
That's about all I can say.
- Oh, come on!
You still believe in that nonsense?
- Yes.
- Are you really convinced
that Henry has gone to that mountain?
- I think there's a good chance.
One thing for sure, he didn't
get lost in the Marabata.
He knew that jungle too well.
- I would like you to
organize an expedition
to the island of Roka.
Arthur and myself will come with you.
- Are you serious?
- Yes.
- It's hard enough for a man,
but for a woman it would
be nearly impossible.
- My husband is missing,
and I'm prepared to do
anything to find him.
I also have the courage
to undertake such a trip.
- And the money, as well.
- I'm going to have to
leave you down there.
I can't go any further than that.
There, I have to make radio
contact for the planned route.
If I can make the fleet from
relay, I'd make a detour.
- This could save us a
whole month in the jungle.
We should be on the coast in about a week.
- For once, we can thank technology.
- Okay, we're going down.
- Thanks, Phil!
Let's go, hurry!
Remember, don't say a word to anybody.
We don't want the police on our tail.
- Don't worry, and good luck.
You're going to need it.
- Why does he look at me
in that strange way?
I don't like it.
- Don't worry, he's just shy.
He's very faithful to me.
Look, I'm afraid we'll have
to carry our own baggage
for a few miles.
We'll pick up some extra
help from the local natives
somewhere between here and the coast.
Ready?
You all right?
- Uh-huh.
- Don't move.
Did it bite you?
- No.
You're very lucky, you know that?
It's extremely poisonous.
First you get a fever
that lasts about three days,
then you die.
So from now on, I suggest
you watch where you're going.
And always keep someone behind you.
- You're leading the expedition.
How was I to know?
- You do now.
The natives believe that killing
that spider was a bad omen.
They're gonna make a sacrifice.
- I'm gonna be sick.
- I know. It's a ritual.
They're offering the iguana to their gods
to protect us against the forces of evil.
- To me, it's repulsive.
- It's part of their religion.
We better hide!
Asaro! . Come on.
Get under cover!
Move! Move!
- That's enough! Damn you.
Now the police know where we
are, you stupid, ignorant--
- Edward!
Oh, my God...
Satisfied now?
You better have a nice,
long talk with your brother
before he causes any more trouble.
- Don't try to put her against me.
Don't try to break this expedition up.
I won't let you.
We'll reach the mountain,
we'll reach it together.
The three of us.
- Well then, if you care to join
me, I suggest we get going.
We may reach the coast by
tomorrow night, if we're lucky.
Roka is just over there.
We better stay under cover
while we prepare the boat.
We'll be there before--
- When are we going to leave?
- Tonight. We'll be there before dawn.
The currents will help us across.
Asaro.
Let's get undercover.
- Be careful. Don't trust him too much.
- We leave the boat here
until we get our bearings.
It should be all right.
- Look! Over there!
Come on!
- There's something else!
- We may not be alone.
There could be other bodies.
Better have a look around.
- Here.
- He was a leper.
The natives believe that lepers
are children of the Devil.
Maybe they killed him because of that.
- Come over here.
- It's Henry's!
See, I had this crest put on.
I gave it to him a few years ago.
- Then I was right, he did come this way.
He must have been heading to the mountain.
Let's keep looking. Arthur, that way.
Asaro, come with me.
- You go there. You follow me.
Here. Here.
- We didn't find anything.
- Nothing.
- Deflate the boat and hide it.
- Let's hope we will find
it when we come back.
- What is it?
- I don't know.
I thought I heard something.
I guess I was wrong.
Asaro.
The bearers were awake at
dawn. They say he wasn't here.
- He's ran away, the bastard.
No, Asaro wouldn't run away.
Besides, where would he go?
- He might have taken the boat.
- But the beach is too far.
- He was scared.
- Yes, but he's not a coward.
He knows the jungle too well.
He would never travel alone,
especially at night.
- Then where is he?
- I don't know.
Well, now we're one man short.
It's not gonna be easy without him.
Maybe we should turn back.
- We got the compass.
And it's in all our interest
to reach the mountain.
Especially yours.
- What do you mean?
- I mean that it's not just
the thought of finding a friend
that is urging you up the mountain, is it?
- Arthur!
- Edward!
Are you hiding something from me?
- Your brother is a complete neurotic.
Even your husband had to abandon him
because he couldn't trust him.
- I didn't trust you very much either.
- That's enough! Stop it!
Why can't you realize?
I want to find my husband, that's all.
That's why we have to
get to that mountain.
- Susan is right.
We all want only to find Henry.
- All right, but I don't
wanna hear any more
of your insinuations, you understand?
Let's break camp.
Bamboo. We must be near the water.
This way!
Right on target!
The mountain is across the river.
We have to build a raft.
- Are you looking for this?
- Huh?
- It's wet, but it still works.
- Cookie?
Animal trap.
- It was meant for us.
- Maybe.
We better move quickly.
Take only the water and
what we absolutely need.
Here, take this. Let's move.
- Edward! Look, he's running away!
- Wait!
- Susan.
- Edward!
- Hold it!
- No, wait!
She was attacked by a native.
She'll be all right.
My name is Manolo.
- This is Father Moses' mission.
- I brought you some white sinners, Moses.
They need food, water,
and a place to sleep.
Edward!
- Hello, Father!
Ah, you haven't changed a bit!
- Coming back like this after
so long! I'm so pleased.
What brings you here?
- I just couldn't stay away.
- Vancho! Come.
Look who's here.
- Hello, Vancho.
- This is Sura.
- Hello.
- Vancho's new wife.
- Moses,
there are two other people, as well.
- Ah, Father, I'd like
you to meet Mrs. Stevenson
and her brother, Arthur Weisser.
- Hello, Father. It's nice to be here.
- Pleased to meet you.
- May I ask what you're doing here?
- We're on our way to
the Mountain Ra Ra Me.
- To the mountain! Are you crazy?
You will never get though the jungle
that surrounds it, my dear.
- We have to. I'm looking for my husband.
He's lost with his expedition.
- Come.
I don't believe you, Manolo.
The Aborigines are not hostile.
It's impossible.
- From what I managed to make
out in those few moments,
he was different.
He wore a mask and his
body was painted white.
I've never seen his kind before. Never.
- Was he wearing a small
bone on his arm, here?
- Edward, you're crazy.
- Yes, I think I do remember
that he had something tied to his arm.
But I'm not sure what it...
- He was a member of a
tribe called the Puka.
- The Puka? The Puka have
been extinct for years!
It cannot be them.
Father...
Six years ago,
when I first met you when
I came to this island,
you never knew what happened
to me after I left here.
I was captured by the Puka.
- You always had a wonderful imagination!
- I wish it were my imagination, Father.
When I was first taken prisoner by them,
they wanted to kill me.
But the chief's son was
sick, he had a fever.
I had some quinine and I looked after him
until he got better.
After that, they treated
me as one of them,
but I still tried to escape.
I tried and I tried three or four times,
but I never succeeded.
- So how did you manage to get away?
- One day, an enemy tribe
attacked our village.
There was fighting
everywhere, chaos, fire.
I saw my chance and I took it, I ran.
I ran and I ran.
Finally, I got to the beach.
A fishing boat spotted me and
I returned to civilization.
You still don't believe me, do you?
- No, carajo. It's all nonsense.
They no longer exist.
- You may be right, Father.
I hope they're all dead. I really do.
- Why is everybody so scared of the Puka?
- They were the ancient
inhabitants of Ra Ra Me.
- Susan, in their language,
Ra Ra Me means "Mountain
of the Cannibal God."
- You mean the Pukas are cannibals.
- That's right.
No.
No... No...
No...
Run....
Run...
No.
- Did you see?
- I did.
And I know who they are.
Are you sure?
- Yes, I'm sure.
- Maybe you're still being chased
by the ghost of your cannibals?
- That's right!
You don't forget the taste of human flesh.
- Edward.
I'm a doctor. Maybe I can help you.
You actually took part in their rituals?
- Yes. And it was horrible.
But I was forced to do
it, I had no choice.
From that time, I've completely changed,
I'm no longer the same person.
I live in this constant nightmare.
Sometimes I think I'm
going completely crazy.
- I'd like to be able
to help you, but I...
- I know.
I've never told anybody
about this experience.
I've been too afraid.
Too ashamed.
But, you know, I sincerely believe
that if I can just get to that mountain
and find a way...
And there is a way
to destroy every last
one of those cannibals.
Perhaps then...
- Perhaps then...
You'll wake up from your nightmare.
- Yes.
- Yes, yes.
It's not wise for you to go around alone.
- Why not? It's safe enough here.
- Take my advice.
- Manolo!
Wait.
- What is it?
- It's been a very, very hard trip.
And now, without bearers,
we'll never make it.
Will you take us over there?
Please help us.
- To get to the mountain
we have to get past the
rapids and waterfalls.
It's almost impossible.
And the jungle is too dense.
- Are you afraid the Puka still exist?
- Who knows?
The truth is at the top of the mountain.
- Will you come with me?
What are they doing?
- There is the juice of
some herbs in those gourds.
On contact with saliva
there is a chemical reaction
which transforms it into
a very potent liquor.
- What does Father Moses think of it?
- He pretends not to notice.
Moses has been living at
the mission for 30 years.
Perhaps at the beginning he
was stricter, but not today.
This is to bring you happiness.
- You didn't answer me today
when I asked you to come with me.
Will you come?
- Two years ago, I came out here alone.
I think I've always had
a flair for adventure.
So I thought, why not the jungle?
I wanted to test myself.
I thought here I had reached
the end of the world,
but it's not true.
There's an even more distant people,
mysterious and terrible.
The challenge isn't over yet.
- We go alone. Just the two of us.
No one must know.
- And the others?
- I don't know. I don't
trust them anymore.
There is something going
on I don't understand.
But if you help me...
- Help! Help! Help!
- Asaro.
- They are all down by the river
performing the funeral rites.
Vancho and Sura will be buried together.
- It's not my fault.
She came to me.
She, last night.
And so the spear hit her instead of me,
but it wasn't my fault.
- There's something I must tell you.
When I escaped from the Puka village,
I wasn't alone.
The young boy that I cured came with me.
He was...
- Asaro! Why did he disappear?
Why did he want to kill us?
- His tribe, I believe they
finally met up with him.
- Bullshit.
You yourself saw their
village completely destroyed.
- Not completely.
Suppose some of them survived.
- I'll tell you what happened.
Asaro tried to stop us
from going to his mountain.
He was a Puka.
The last of them.
And now he's dead.
And I'm ready to move
on towards the mountain.
- So am I.
- Edward, with that wound, I
think you should stay here.
Manolo will come with us.
- I don't think Edward
wants to miss all the fun.
Do you, Edward?
- Let's hit the road.
- You have brought vice
and death to my mission!
Nobody has ever attacked
us in all these years.
And now it's happened.
But it was you they wanted to kill,
not my peaceful people.
You showed them adultery, fornication.
And this is the result!
Sura and Vancho are dead.
They will never again be among us.
Now go!
I don't wish to see any of you again.
Go, all of you!
Forever!
Forever.
- Look there!
- Animals only follow their instincts,
out of all living beings.
Killing and eating.
Man, too, has the same instincts.
But to satisfy them he
uses more subtle means.
Lying, trickery...
The wound is infected.
All I can do is have these worms draw up
some of the bad blood.
- He's burning up. It was
madness to let him come.
If he insisted on coming along,
it means he has his own very good reason.
- That's right!
I have mine, you have yours.
Just as Henry had his.
- What's yours?
- You want the truth?
Your husband knew that
Ra Ra Me possessed resources
that could make him
rich beyond imagination,
but he wanted it all for himself.
So he left without telling
me and came here alone.
- That's not true. Henry
would never do such a thing.
- It is true.
Fortunately, I don't care about money.
Susan, I promise you,
your husband's reasons for coming here
were not in the interest of science.
- Edward's right.
Henry only thought about himself.
I'm sure he wanted to cheat us all.
Ow! Ow!
- That's enough!
I've heard all I can take from you!
Don't move!
I don't kill animals.
- I suppose I ought to thank you.
- It's impossible!
- I told you it will be like this.
And it gets worse!
- Shouldn't we try to get to shore?
Yes, over there!
- Manolo!
Manolo...
- We have to leave it here!
- He can't make it on foot
as far as the mountain.
We have to pull the canoe
up, stick to the river.
- It would take too long.
Besides, who said that
Henry went to the river?
Maybe he got inland.
- A canoe is the only means
for the four of us to go on.
Edward won't be able to
make it otherwise.
Help me.
Arthur!
- Help.
- Arthur!
Here.
- Do you think you can make it?
- Yeah. I think so.
Let's go.
- We have to climb up there.
- Arthur!
Arthur.
Arthur, help me!
Help me!
- Help him!
Help him!
No!
You killed him!
You didn't do anything to save him,
you bastard. You rotten bastard!
- Manolo, stop it! Leave him alone!
- I curse that you're still alive.
People like you don't deserve pity!
I've had enough, I'm going back.
- Manolo.
Manolo, I have to find Henry.
Don't leave me now.
Please, let's go on.
- Susan!
Manolo.
- It's blood.
Those are ritualistic designs.
Left for us, I'd say.
Let's go up and have a look.
- No, I feel like a rest.
I'll wait for you here.
- The Puka!
And those remains are fresh.
- So they still exist.
- Let's go back to Arthur.
He shouldn't be alone.
Arthur!
Where are you going? Come back!
- Arthur! Stop!
- Arthur, you're mad! Come back!
Susan! Susan!
- Arthur!
My God. The Geiger counter has gone crazy!
Be careful if it's that radioactive.
- It's uranium.
- High percentage uranium!
I can't believe it. It's incredible!
- We found it! Henry's maps were right.
We'll be rich, Arthur, rich.
Just like you said,
this will bring me happiness.
- You, like Foster, believed that story
about the faithful wife
looking for her lost
husband, didn't you, Manolo?
- Henry tried to keep us out of it,
but we knew he was coming
here for the uranium.
So I had to convince Foster
that I was only here
to look for my husband.
Otherwise, he would never have helped us.
- So the search was just an excuse.
- Henry cheated me.
He also was going to leave me.
It's not my fault he disappeared.
- My God, you're without
limits, both of you!
I see now why you let Foster die!
- He was a poor idealist.
He wanted to exploit all this wealth
only for a crazy humanitarian purpose.
- At least his values
were higher than yours!
He had little interest in money.
While that's all you seem to care about.
- For the moment, yes.
We can sell this information
to the great powers.
We will be rich.
- You, too, if you help us.
- Help you to exploit this
island and its people?
Help you to destroy the forests
and bring your so-called
progress to a place like this?
No.
- Stay where you are.
Put your rifle down.
You'll help us to collect samples
then you're going to
take us back, understand?
- My God!
Henry always had this on him.
It's my husband.
- They made him into a god.
They probably thought the
Geiger counter was his heart.
Proof of his immortality.
Now, you're the god's woman.
The fact of a photograph
would be something supernatural
for people like this.
Susan!
Susan!
Susan!
Susan!
No, Susan!
No! Don't do it!
Don't do it, Susan! Don't--
Susan!
I think I found a way out.
Wait!
There's a tree trunk over
there. Let's use the current.
- Look out!
Manolo.
- Let's try to get you back home, huh?
Mrs. Stevenson, how do you
feel about your husband's
disappearance in the jungle?
- Leave her alone.
Is it
true that the expedition
was not authorized?
- Leave her alone.
Leave her alone.
Please, my sister is very tired.
Is it
true that the expedition
wasn't authorized?
- What are you plans?
Are you going to set up a rescue mission?
Do you think you'll find him alive?
- This is the Malaysian State Radio.
Do you have any statement to the press?
No, no. No statement.
- All efforts of the search
parties in the Marabata jungle
have proved empty
and we have decided to
call off the search.
I'm sorry.
- Your husband's expedition,
as the chief of police
has already told you,
was not authorized by the authorities
of independent Guinea.
And therefore, they had no
kind of contact with him,
not even by radio.
- Your husband was carrying out
his ethnological investigations
without our knowledge or permission.
When your brother informed us
of Mr. Stevenson's
disappearance, we intervened.
If our search was a bit
tardy, that's not our fault.
- I waited here at Port
Moresby one month or more,
until the established
date for him to return.
Also, as you know, my brother-in-law
has a profound knowledge of that area.
So I had no real motive
to be worried about him.
You can never know the jungle well enough.
This clandestine expedition was imprudent,
apart from being an
insult to our government.
- My brother-in-law is a
world-famous scientist.
I think your government
should show special interest
in locating his expedition.
- Air search parties have been out,
looking for signs of life in
the jungle for several days.
If they were perhaps still alive,
they'd have surely attempted some signal.
- Maybe they weren't able.
The jungle is so dense
there's no real chance
to see anything.
We have to organize an
expedition to go into the jungle.
- Look, please keep calm.
We have every intention of helping you
to find Henry Stevenson.
But now, it's up to the local
authorities to organize help
and make all decisions in the matter.
We have done all we can.
- Please help me.
I don't know if Henry's still alive,
but until I'm certain that he's dead
I'll keep on looking for him,
even if I have to do it alone.
- I understand how you feel,
but it's my duty to be honest.
If we have given up, it
is because we are certain
that after three months in that jungle,
there could not possibly be any survivors.
I'm sorry, Consul Burns,
but I have to leave.
- Of course. And thank you.
- Sir, Mrs. Stevenson.
- I think the only
person who could help you
is Professor Edward Foster, he's a Yank.
He's a strange man,
but he has an expert
knowledge of the area.
I suggest you contact him.
- Arthur has been in
touch with him already.
We're seeing him tomorrow.
- Hello.
Mrs. Stevenson?
- Yes.
- I'm Edward Foster.
- Hello.
- Arthur.
- Hello, Edward.
- You're looking well.
- So are you.
Please.
You must excuse the
informality of my house,
but Mother Nature has a
way of taking over here
and I don't feel like arguing with her.
- Henry often mentioned
you in his letters.
He has great respect for you.
- Thank you.
- I'm very happy to meet you.
- Likewise.
Your husband and I were
very close friends.
We shared a mutual interest
in the primitive peoples
of this country.
Of course, that world
is rapidly disappearing.
Eventually, progress and technology
will destroy it completely.
- Tell me...
Do you have any idea where Henry could be?
- I'm not sure.
He was very reserved about
this particular expedition.
Strange.
He told me he was going.
I offered my help, but before
I knew it he was gone.
As far as I know, he left alone.
Maybe with a few natives.
- I just can't understand
why he was so secretive
about this expedition.
And especially with you.
- Yes, I thought about that myself.
But you know, just because
he was so secretive
about this journey gives
me a strong indication
of where he might be.
Come.
Now, this is the Marabata jungle,
the area where they say Henry disappeared.
Look, about five miles
offshore is the island of Roka.
This island is covered
by a very dense jungle,
which surrounds and protects
the sacred mountain of Ra Ra Me.
Sacred, because the local
people and the natives
believe that the mountain is cursed.
- Then that's where he went!
And you've kept quiet
about it all this time?
- What are you talking about?
- Arthur.
Please go on.
- Mrs. Stevenson,
there's something I think you should know.
A few years ago, I was
on that island myself.
Shortly afterwards, I
told Arthur and Henry
about my experiences there.
Henry seemed fascinated by them.
- Yes, I think I remember now.
Henry told me in one of his letters
about a mountain that people
said had a curse on it.
I thought it was just
a silly superstition.
- You'd be surprised how
important that belief is
to those people.
The police won't allow expeditions
into the Marabata jungle.
They don't want anybody near that island.
They say it's because
of conservation reasons.
But the truth of the matter is
they're afraid of the curse, too.
Just like everybody else.
- How did you manage to go there?
- It's a long story, Mrs. Stevenson.
It's purely by chance, really.
I was on a sailing trip
not far off the coast of the island.
I hit a storm.
Before I knew it,
I was shipwrecked on the beach.
Because I knew about
the legend of the curse,
naturally I was curious.
I wanted to get to the
top of that mountain.
I never made it.
- What stopped you?
- Some mysterious force.
That's about all I can say.
- Oh, come on!
You still believe in that nonsense?
- Yes.
- Are you really convinced
that Henry has gone to that mountain?
- I think there's a good chance.
One thing for sure, he didn't
get lost in the Marabata.
He knew that jungle too well.
- I would like you to
organize an expedition
to the island of Roka.
Arthur and myself will come with you.
- Are you serious?
- Yes.
- It's hard enough for a man,
but for a woman it would
be nearly impossible.
- My husband is missing,
and I'm prepared to do
anything to find him.
I also have the courage
to undertake such a trip.
- And the money, as well.
- I'm going to have to
leave you down there.
I can't go any further than that.
There, I have to make radio
contact for the planned route.
If I can make the fleet from
relay, I'd make a detour.
- This could save us a
whole month in the jungle.
We should be on the coast in about a week.
- For once, we can thank technology.
- Okay, we're going down.
- Thanks, Phil!
Let's go, hurry!
Remember, don't say a word to anybody.
We don't want the police on our tail.
- Don't worry, and good luck.
You're going to need it.
- Why does he look at me
in that strange way?
I don't like it.
- Don't worry, he's just shy.
He's very faithful to me.
Look, I'm afraid we'll have
to carry our own baggage
for a few miles.
We'll pick up some extra
help from the local natives
somewhere between here and the coast.
Ready?
You all right?
- Uh-huh.
- Don't move.
Did it bite you?
- No.
You're very lucky, you know that?
It's extremely poisonous.
First you get a fever
that lasts about three days,
then you die.
So from now on, I suggest
you watch where you're going.
And always keep someone behind you.
- You're leading the expedition.
How was I to know?
- You do now.
The natives believe that killing
that spider was a bad omen.
They're gonna make a sacrifice.
- I'm gonna be sick.
- I know. It's a ritual.
They're offering the iguana to their gods
to protect us against the forces of evil.
- To me, it's repulsive.
- It's part of their religion.
We better hide!
Asaro! . Come on.
Get under cover!
Move! Move!
- That's enough! Damn you.
Now the police know where we
are, you stupid, ignorant--
- Edward!
Oh, my God...
Satisfied now?
You better have a nice,
long talk with your brother
before he causes any more trouble.
- Don't try to put her against me.
Don't try to break this expedition up.
I won't let you.
We'll reach the mountain,
we'll reach it together.
The three of us.
- Well then, if you care to join
me, I suggest we get going.
We may reach the coast by
tomorrow night, if we're lucky.
Roka is just over there.
We better stay under cover
while we prepare the boat.
We'll be there before--
- When are we going to leave?
- Tonight. We'll be there before dawn.
The currents will help us across.
Asaro.
Let's get undercover.
- Be careful. Don't trust him too much.
- We leave the boat here
until we get our bearings.
It should be all right.
- Look! Over there!
Come on!
- There's something else!
- We may not be alone.
There could be other bodies.
Better have a look around.
- Here.
- He was a leper.
The natives believe that lepers
are children of the Devil.
Maybe they killed him because of that.
- Come over here.
- It's Henry's!
See, I had this crest put on.
I gave it to him a few years ago.
- Then I was right, he did come this way.
He must have been heading to the mountain.
Let's keep looking. Arthur, that way.
Asaro, come with me.
- You go there. You follow me.
Here. Here.
- We didn't find anything.
- Nothing.
- Deflate the boat and hide it.
- Let's hope we will find
it when we come back.
- What is it?
- I don't know.
I thought I heard something.
I guess I was wrong.
Asaro.
The bearers were awake at
dawn. They say he wasn't here.
- He's ran away, the bastard.
No, Asaro wouldn't run away.
Besides, where would he go?
- He might have taken the boat.
- But the beach is too far.
- He was scared.
- Yes, but he's not a coward.
He knows the jungle too well.
He would never travel alone,
especially at night.
- Then where is he?
- I don't know.
Well, now we're one man short.
It's not gonna be easy without him.
Maybe we should turn back.
- We got the compass.
And it's in all our interest
to reach the mountain.
Especially yours.
- What do you mean?
- I mean that it's not just
the thought of finding a friend
that is urging you up the mountain, is it?
- Arthur!
- Edward!
Are you hiding something from me?
- Your brother is a complete neurotic.
Even your husband had to abandon him
because he couldn't trust him.
- I didn't trust you very much either.
- That's enough! Stop it!
Why can't you realize?
I want to find my husband, that's all.
That's why we have to
get to that mountain.
- Susan is right.
We all want only to find Henry.
- All right, but I don't
wanna hear any more
of your insinuations, you understand?
Let's break camp.
Bamboo. We must be near the water.
This way!
Right on target!
The mountain is across the river.
We have to build a raft.
- Are you looking for this?
- Huh?
- It's wet, but it still works.
- Cookie?
Animal trap.
- It was meant for us.
- Maybe.
We better move quickly.
Take only the water and
what we absolutely need.
Here, take this. Let's move.
- Edward! Look, he's running away!
- Wait!
- Susan.
- Edward!
- Hold it!
- No, wait!
She was attacked by a native.
She'll be all right.
My name is Manolo.
- This is Father Moses' mission.
- I brought you some white sinners, Moses.
They need food, water,
and a place to sleep.
Edward!
- Hello, Father!
Ah, you haven't changed a bit!
- Coming back like this after
so long! I'm so pleased.
What brings you here?
- I just couldn't stay away.
- Vancho! Come.
Look who's here.
- Hello, Vancho.
- This is Sura.
- Hello.
- Vancho's new wife.
- Moses,
there are two other people, as well.
- Ah, Father, I'd like
you to meet Mrs. Stevenson
and her brother, Arthur Weisser.
- Hello, Father. It's nice to be here.
- Pleased to meet you.
- May I ask what you're doing here?
- We're on our way to
the Mountain Ra Ra Me.
- To the mountain! Are you crazy?
You will never get though the jungle
that surrounds it, my dear.
- We have to. I'm looking for my husband.
He's lost with his expedition.
- Come.
I don't believe you, Manolo.
The Aborigines are not hostile.
It's impossible.
- From what I managed to make
out in those few moments,
he was different.
He wore a mask and his
body was painted white.
I've never seen his kind before. Never.
- Was he wearing a small
bone on his arm, here?
- Edward, you're crazy.
- Yes, I think I do remember
that he had something tied to his arm.
But I'm not sure what it...
- He was a member of a
tribe called the Puka.
- The Puka? The Puka have
been extinct for years!
It cannot be them.
Father...
Six years ago,
when I first met you when
I came to this island,
you never knew what happened
to me after I left here.
I was captured by the Puka.
- You always had a wonderful imagination!
- I wish it were my imagination, Father.
When I was first taken prisoner by them,
they wanted to kill me.
But the chief's son was
sick, he had a fever.
I had some quinine and I looked after him
until he got better.
After that, they treated
me as one of them,
but I still tried to escape.
I tried and I tried three or four times,
but I never succeeded.
- So how did you manage to get away?
- One day, an enemy tribe
attacked our village.
There was fighting
everywhere, chaos, fire.
I saw my chance and I took it, I ran.
I ran and I ran.
Finally, I got to the beach.
A fishing boat spotted me and
I returned to civilization.
You still don't believe me, do you?
- No, carajo. It's all nonsense.
They no longer exist.
- You may be right, Father.
I hope they're all dead. I really do.
- Why is everybody so scared of the Puka?
- They were the ancient
inhabitants of Ra Ra Me.
- Susan, in their language,
Ra Ra Me means "Mountain
of the Cannibal God."
- You mean the Pukas are cannibals.
- That's right.
No.
No... No...
No...
Run....
Run...
No.
- Did you see?
- I did.
And I know who they are.
Are you sure?
- Yes, I'm sure.
- Maybe you're still being chased
by the ghost of your cannibals?
- That's right!
You don't forget the taste of human flesh.
- Edward.
I'm a doctor. Maybe I can help you.
You actually took part in their rituals?
- Yes. And it was horrible.
But I was forced to do
it, I had no choice.
From that time, I've completely changed,
I'm no longer the same person.
I live in this constant nightmare.
Sometimes I think I'm
going completely crazy.
- I'd like to be able
to help you, but I...
- I know.
I've never told anybody
about this experience.
I've been too afraid.
Too ashamed.
But, you know, I sincerely believe
that if I can just get to that mountain
and find a way...
And there is a way
to destroy every last
one of those cannibals.
Perhaps then...
- Perhaps then...
You'll wake up from your nightmare.
- Yes.
- Yes, yes.
It's not wise for you to go around alone.
- Why not? It's safe enough here.
- Take my advice.
- Manolo!
Wait.
- What is it?
- It's been a very, very hard trip.
And now, without bearers,
we'll never make it.
Will you take us over there?
Please help us.
- To get to the mountain
we have to get past the
rapids and waterfalls.
It's almost impossible.
And the jungle is too dense.
- Are you afraid the Puka still exist?
- Who knows?
The truth is at the top of the mountain.
- Will you come with me?
What are they doing?
- There is the juice of
some herbs in those gourds.
On contact with saliva
there is a chemical reaction
which transforms it into
a very potent liquor.
- What does Father Moses think of it?
- He pretends not to notice.
Moses has been living at
the mission for 30 years.
Perhaps at the beginning he
was stricter, but not today.
This is to bring you happiness.
- You didn't answer me today
when I asked you to come with me.
Will you come?
- Two years ago, I came out here alone.
I think I've always had
a flair for adventure.
So I thought, why not the jungle?
I wanted to test myself.
I thought here I had reached
the end of the world,
but it's not true.
There's an even more distant people,
mysterious and terrible.
The challenge isn't over yet.
- We go alone. Just the two of us.
No one must know.
- And the others?
- I don't know. I don't
trust them anymore.
There is something going
on I don't understand.
But if you help me...
- Help! Help! Help!
- Asaro.
- They are all down by the river
performing the funeral rites.
Vancho and Sura will be buried together.
- It's not my fault.
She came to me.
She, last night.
And so the spear hit her instead of me,
but it wasn't my fault.
- There's something I must tell you.
When I escaped from the Puka village,
I wasn't alone.
The young boy that I cured came with me.
He was...
- Asaro! Why did he disappear?
Why did he want to kill us?
- His tribe, I believe they
finally met up with him.
- Bullshit.
You yourself saw their
village completely destroyed.
- Not completely.
Suppose some of them survived.
- I'll tell you what happened.
Asaro tried to stop us
from going to his mountain.
He was a Puka.
The last of them.
And now he's dead.
And I'm ready to move
on towards the mountain.
- So am I.
- Edward, with that wound, I
think you should stay here.
Manolo will come with us.
- I don't think Edward
wants to miss all the fun.
Do you, Edward?
- Let's hit the road.
- You have brought vice
and death to my mission!
Nobody has ever attacked
us in all these years.
And now it's happened.
But it was you they wanted to kill,
not my peaceful people.
You showed them adultery, fornication.
And this is the result!
Sura and Vancho are dead.
They will never again be among us.
Now go!
I don't wish to see any of you again.
Go, all of you!
Forever!
Forever.
- Look there!
- Animals only follow their instincts,
out of all living beings.
Killing and eating.
Man, too, has the same instincts.
But to satisfy them he
uses more subtle means.
Lying, trickery...
The wound is infected.
All I can do is have these worms draw up
some of the bad blood.
- He's burning up. It was
madness to let him come.
If he insisted on coming along,
it means he has his own very good reason.
- That's right!
I have mine, you have yours.
Just as Henry had his.
- What's yours?
- You want the truth?
Your husband knew that
Ra Ra Me possessed resources
that could make him
rich beyond imagination,
but he wanted it all for himself.
So he left without telling
me and came here alone.
- That's not true. Henry
would never do such a thing.
- It is true.
Fortunately, I don't care about money.
Susan, I promise you,
your husband's reasons for coming here
were not in the interest of science.
- Edward's right.
Henry only thought about himself.
I'm sure he wanted to cheat us all.
Ow! Ow!
- That's enough!
I've heard all I can take from you!
Don't move!
I don't kill animals.
- I suppose I ought to thank you.
- It's impossible!
- I told you it will be like this.
And it gets worse!
- Shouldn't we try to get to shore?
Yes, over there!
- Manolo!
Manolo...
- We have to leave it here!
- He can't make it on foot
as far as the mountain.
We have to pull the canoe
up, stick to the river.
- It would take too long.
Besides, who said that
Henry went to the river?
Maybe he got inland.
- A canoe is the only means
for the four of us to go on.
Edward won't be able to
make it otherwise.
Help me.
Arthur!
- Help.
- Arthur!
Here.
- Do you think you can make it?
- Yeah. I think so.
Let's go.
- We have to climb up there.
- Arthur!
Arthur.
Arthur, help me!
Help me!
- Help him!
Help him!
No!
You killed him!
You didn't do anything to save him,
you bastard. You rotten bastard!
- Manolo, stop it! Leave him alone!
- I curse that you're still alive.
People like you don't deserve pity!
I've had enough, I'm going back.
- Manolo.
Manolo, I have to find Henry.
Don't leave me now.
Please, let's go on.
- Susan!
Manolo.
- It's blood.
Those are ritualistic designs.
Left for us, I'd say.
Let's go up and have a look.
- No, I feel like a rest.
I'll wait for you here.
- The Puka!
And those remains are fresh.
- So they still exist.
- Let's go back to Arthur.
He shouldn't be alone.
Arthur!
Where are you going? Come back!
- Arthur! Stop!
- Arthur, you're mad! Come back!
Susan! Susan!
- Arthur!
My God. The Geiger counter has gone crazy!
Be careful if it's that radioactive.
- It's uranium.
- High percentage uranium!
I can't believe it. It's incredible!
- We found it! Henry's maps were right.
We'll be rich, Arthur, rich.
Just like you said,
this will bring me happiness.
- You, like Foster, believed that story
about the faithful wife
looking for her lost
husband, didn't you, Manolo?
- Henry tried to keep us out of it,
but we knew he was coming
here for the uranium.
So I had to convince Foster
that I was only here
to look for my husband.
Otherwise, he would never have helped us.
- So the search was just an excuse.
- Henry cheated me.
He also was going to leave me.
It's not my fault he disappeared.
- My God, you're without
limits, both of you!
I see now why you let Foster die!
- He was a poor idealist.
He wanted to exploit all this wealth
only for a crazy humanitarian purpose.
- At least his values
were higher than yours!
He had little interest in money.
While that's all you seem to care about.
- For the moment, yes.
We can sell this information
to the great powers.
We will be rich.
- You, too, if you help us.
- Help you to exploit this
island and its people?
Help you to destroy the forests
and bring your so-called
progress to a place like this?
No.
- Stay where you are.
Put your rifle down.
You'll help us to collect samples
then you're going to
take us back, understand?
- My God!
Henry always had this on him.
It's my husband.
- They made him into a god.
They probably thought the
Geiger counter was his heart.
Proof of his immortality.
Now, you're the god's woman.
The fact of a photograph
would be something supernatural
for people like this.
Susan!
Susan!
Susan!
Susan!
No, Susan!
No! Don't do it!
Don't do it, Susan! Don't--
Susan!
I think I found a way out.
Wait!
There's a tree trunk over
there. Let's use the current.
- Look out!
Manolo.
- Let's try to get you back home, huh?