Iguana

I get the impression that this movie is based on a book: Alberto Vázquez-Figueroa's novel "La Iguana", released on 1982. Here in Brazil it was released on 1989, with the title "O Iguana". Read this book when I was in school, at the suggestion of a teacher. A very good and interesting book.

I haven't watched every Monte Hellman film ever made, but I've now seen this, Cockfighter, Two Lane Blacktop, Ride in the Whirlwind, The Shooting, and of the movies he was part director of, Avalanche Express and The Terror. The subject matter is usually some pretty tortured stuff, The Shooting is a mad forced march into the oblivion, in a claustrophobic universe, what is called by some an existential Western, Ride in the Whirlwind is a bitter Western noir, two peaceable cowboys end up sleeping in just the wrong cabin of a night. Cockfighter and Two Lane Blacktop are almost fetishistic in their nihilism.

Iguana is the most tortured of them all perhaps. It's a movie about a harpooner, Oberlus, half of whose face is blistered and deformed. His shipmates take a disliking to him, deciding that he's some sort of Jonah, and end up tearing his flesh. Oberlus in his deep torment escapes to a deserted island of which he then proclaims himself king and declares war on the world. The soul of it is the Phantom of the Opera, which Hellman thought this movie would be like after reading a summary of the script. It wasn't so much what the original novel was like I think, but that's the mark of an auteur, to take the script and make it their own.

It feels like a spiritual return to the origins of his film-making with Roger Corman, indeed this movie could be given the title of Hellman's first movie, Beast from Haunted Cave. Oberlus enslaves washed up sailors and even a young lady. There is some graphic content in this movie and Oberlus, well let's just say he doesn't have any hang-ups.

This is a perfect example from Hellman of Roger Corman's philosophy of film-making, he liked to give the audience something to look at, but he wasn't happy unless he was making it on two levels, giving people who liked to think about the film something to think about. You never feel demeaned watching any type of movie that comes out of that philosophy, that's the true greatness of the Corman technique.

The ending is disturbing and you really can't believe Hellman ended it like that, he's well named indeed. There's also the liberal theme that if you treat people like animals they become animals. Oberlus is shunned because of his physical ugliness, which then becomes spiritual ugliness, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy when his shipmates refer to him as a voodoo devil.

I'd read a lot about this film and was excited to view it. While not a complete turkey this one may not be worth your time or effort. The script seems hurried and incomplete and requires a incredible amount of willing suspension of disbelief. Could not understand how this average sized man with one machete and an old flintlock pistol could maintain control over several hearty sea dogs. Adding to this mystery is why they readily submit to his authority without much attempt to gain the upper hand. Also one wonders how this group continue to survive on a rather smallish island that looks pretty desolate-lots of rocks and cliffs and shore but not much vegetation and no animal life-other than fish. In retrospect the whole thing seems pretty laughable. The Iquana makeup effect looks like a B-movie rubber appliance and the much touted beheading scene was done with a coconut on a dummy's shoulders. Listen for the Three Stooges "ka-thunk" sound effect when the head hits the ground. Really bad stuff here. I give it 3 stars for the cinematography as there are some beautiful oceanic scenes found here. If you're curious about this film then at least you have some idea of what you're in for.

When this film came out on video, it probably cause problem on the video store owner for which section of the store to put this film on. The film is action (sort of), horror (because of the video box cover), drama (unsimpathetic characters) and other stuff all rolled up in one in a overseas production directed by cult director Hellman. Bruce McGill stars as a misfit seaman with a messed up face who escape from a ship and wages war against mankind by keeping any castaway as his prisoners. Michael Madsen, Joseph Culp (robert's son) and even Italian leading man Fabio Testi is in this film! Maruska Dettmers was supposed to be in the film as she was listed in the trade papers, but backed out. Not recommended, but McGill's character lines are funny at times.

"Iguana" is really beautifully photographed, but as entertainment it is a miserable experience. The editing is extremely choppy, however the fatal problem is a total lack of believability. The deformed protagonist controls five or six people who washed up on his island kingdom. Obviously the self proclaimed king never sleeps, or his captives didn't want to wake him with a rock to the head? This screenplay is really so far fetched that I lost interest almost immediately. The dialog is stilted and tedious, and director Monte Hellman drops the ball at almost every opportunity. Michael Madsen is totally wasted, as is 98 minutes of your life. This is one to be avoided, and has no redeeming qualities. It's truly painful to watch such nonsense .......................... - MERK