Review of The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988) by Jeff W — 16 Feb 2009

Is it just me or is Wes Craven overrated as an auteur of 80's horror cinema? I remember liking this voodoo tale when it first premiered back in 1988, just on the heels of A Nightmare on Elm Street. But I was twelve years old back then. Even A Nightmare on Elm Street, now considered a modern horror classic, suffers from the same problems that this film has. The problem with Craven is that he too often tarnishes his excellent story telling abilities and fresh concepts with downright pedestrian execution.

Imbued with effectively creepy atmospherics and wonderful set pieces, The Serpent and the Rainbow is a handsomely made horror film plagued by a horrible script and wafer-thin characterization. For most of its running time, we are asked to swallow one quasi-religious pontification after another. This pseudo-scientific blather is delivered by actors like Bill Pullman (fresh off the Space Balls ship) and Paul Winfield; two perfectly capable performers rendered useless by the onslaught of embarrassing dialog. It's difficult to take their roles seriously in a film that ends with Pullman's character channeling some sort of jaguar spirit that allows him to conjure up Carrie-style telekinesis in order to defeat his Freddy Krueger-like nemesis. This final scene, which takes an already preposterous story to an even more obscene level, is shoe-horned into the narrative without any apparent purpose or logic behind it. It is totally absurd and in stark contrast to an otherwise serious story with some downright scary scenes (i.e being buried alive) that showcase Craven at the top of his form. Had Craven been playing it for laughs or camp value, that would be one thing--but he's not. It's obvious the film takes itself way too seriously. It also doesn't help that the entire film features some of the worst voice-over narration I've ever heard. Bill Pullman gives Harrison Ford a run for his money in some of the most hilariously expository dialog this side of the Blade Runner theatrical cut.

I ask again, why is Wes Craven so lauded as horror icon? Films like Last House on the Left, A Nightmare on Elm Street, New Nightmare, and Scream are all indicative of both his strengths and weaknesses as a filmmaker. His propensity for building suspenseful scenes based on fresh and original ideas is consistently undermined by poor choices, such as pacing and clumsy dialog. The Serpent and the Rainbow is certainly no exception.