Fascinating Film ‘Embrace of the Serpent’ Tells Complex Story of Colonialism in the Amazon

Sandra Miska

“Embrace of the Serpent,” an import from Colombia and a 2016 Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, is an adventure feature set in the Amazon. This narrative is told from the point of view of an indigenous man, the last of his tribe following the invasion of white rubber barons. This ambitious film was five years in the making for writer-director Ciro Guerra who wrote the screenplay in Spanish and worked with others to translate the dialogue into over half a dozen languages. The story is based on the journals of two real-life explorers, Theodor Koch-Grunberg and Richard Evans Schultes.

In 1909, shaman Karamakate (Nilbio Torres) reluctantly teams up with German explorer Koch-Grunberg (Jan Bijvoet) and his native guide Manduca (Yauenkü Migue) to help them find a rare plant, yakuna, that could cure Koch-Grunberg of an illness. In exchange, Theo promises to help Karamakate locate other members of his tribe. Koch-Grunberg, a renowned scholar in his homeland, has to follow Karamakate’s strict rules, which dictate among other things, when and what he can eat. Karamakate isn’t on a power trip; He’s desperate to preserve the traditions of his tribe, not just for himself, but also to honor those who’ve passed on into the afterlife.

Guerra does an excellent job of introducing conflict by creating characters who have varying perspectives on colonialism. Karamakate is resistant to change and takes issue with Manduca who wears western clothes and is Koch-Grunberg’s right-hand man. While Karamakate resents all foreigners, Manduca believes that helping influential men like his boss will benefit the native people in the long run.

Although an anti-colonialist, Karamakate scolds Koch-Grunberg after he refuses to give his compass to a group of natives on the grounds that new technology will lead to them abandoning their traditional ways of doing things. “Who are you to withhold knowledge?” asks Karamakate. On the opposite end of the spectrum from Koch-Grunberg are the Catholic missionaries who run a home for orphaned boys and try to obliterate all that is left of their indigenous heritage, something that Karamakate, of course, challenges.

Thirty years later in 1940, an older Karamakate (Antonio Bolivar) still clings to tradition, although he exudes sadness. He is approached by another foreigner, American biologist Richard Evans Schultes (Brionne Davis) who is also in search of yakuna. By this time, the plant is extremely rare. Karamakate seeks to succeed with Schultes where he failed with the first explorer. In a memorable nightmarish sequence, the two find themselves in a cultish community run by a self-proclaimed messiah who in Karamakate’s eyes represents the worst of the pagan and Catholic worlds.

“Embrace of the Serpent” differs from other anti-colonialism films as it is very nuanced and features a complex indigenous protagonist who defies the “noble savage” stereotype. It certainly aims to do more than leave the viewer feeling warm and fuzzy.

This is also a visually striking film. Filmed in black and white in the Amazon, the first production to take place in the region in over 30 years, “Embrace of the Serpent” makes excellent use of its exotic setting.

“Embrace of the Serpent” opens Feb. 19 at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles and Feb. 26 at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 in Pasadena and the Laemmle Town Center in Encino. For national dates, go here.