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Ideal Pictures Corp.Menace of Guatemala (Ideal What-Nots series) (1934)

Sensationalist "documentary" on the Agua area of Guatemala, where people live in the shadow of a volcano.


This movie is part of the collection: Prelinger Archives

Producer: Ideal Pictures Corp.
Sponsor: N/A
Audio/Visual: Sd, B&W
Keywords: Guatemala; Volcanoes; Central America

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: pheret - - January 12, 2008
Subject: menace of guatemala
i agree regarding turn off the narrorator and i guess it's about the volcano, but it is really a good view of the life of the indios at that time.

i am amazed that there wasn't more about the beauty of their woolwork! i have seen some of the products and they really are lovely!

but, i have to say it, what a pig of a narrator. bleah, colonial white man ignorance! :(

Reviewer: Christine Hennig - - December 23, 2003
Subject: Narrated by Smarmy Man
This 30s travelogue about Guatemala features a smarmy narrator who describes some of the culture of the local natives while adding lots of insensitive jokes to the proceedings. The actual film footage has historical value, but you want to slap that narrator after awhile.
Ratings: Camp/Humor Value: ***. Weirdness: ***. Historical Interest: ****. Overall Rating: ***.

Reviewer: Spuzz - - November 9, 2003
Subject: Just what IS the menace we're talking about here?
Pretty strange film which showcases on the people of guatemala. Apparently the 'meance' is the big Volcano hovering over them, but judging by the patronizing narration, you'd have a hard time thinking otherwise. Showing their way of life and basically calling them savages isn't going to win them points. But nevertheless, if you turn off the sound, this film does have remarkable cinematography of Guatamala.

Shotlist

No synopsis in Educational Film Guides.
Ken Smith reports: A patronizing narrator snickers while we see footage of "semi-barbarous" Guatemalans fishing, weaving, hauling clay pots on giant backpacks ("human pack animals" and "two-legged mules," the narrator chuckles), and engaging in "pagan" dances. The menace, by the way, is Agua, the volcano. Good (if gritty) footage of villagers running in terror while walls collapse around them.

Guatemala weaving backpacking trekking dance and dancing fear terror disasters earthquakes Central America Latin America South America safety