Embrace of the Serpent (2015) by Ciro Guerra

[cranefly]

This is almost a great movie.  It's about a sick German explorer and his guide searching for a rare healing plant in the Amazon.
This is early 1900s, but there's a secondary story about a modern explorer following in the footsteps of the prior explorer, in search of the same plant.

The centerpiece of both stories is Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman.  Since the stories take place 40 years apart, two actors fill the role.  Both are indigenous to the Amazon, and neither has ever acted before.  Yet both are impressive.

All the characters, shaman included, are shown to be complex and conflicted, with good and bad qualities.

Lots of good scenes in the movie, some very poignant.  But the movie sorely lacks a final act.  In fact, it does a ghastly face-plant just short of the end.  Still, it manages to skid across the finish line to make it worth viewing in my book.

One caveat: The movie is shot in black and white.  Yes, black and white.  While I can understand the aesthetics of black and white in some situations, this is a fucking jungle, and jungles are verdant.  Verdancy calls for rich multi-toned greens, and there's nothing verdant about black and white.  Why would you shoot a jungle in black and white?  That's like shooting an unensanguinated samurai movie (I really had to reach for this one, didn't I, DM).  Jesus.  Fucking.  Christ.

Still worth a watch, especially if you're into rain forests. 

[Drunk Monk]

I'm gonna say this is a great movie.  I feel ya on your criticisms but I felt the film's commentary on the vanishing Amazonian tribes was fascinating.  Even the B&W move worked for me, because it would've been easy to just go for the verdantness of it all and have a beautiful film, but by removing the color, it gave it such a starkness, still beautiful, but tragically so. As for the falling flat, I'm guessing that's your take on the color payout and I agree.  I find that to be a bit of an overused cheap trick to use the B&W/color/B&W schtick in movies.  The film is so druggy and so for me, I was waiting for that take on the trip but it wasn't overly satisfying in the end.  Nevertheless, as one of those 'based on a true story' films, I thought it worked well and what an intense story.

[cranefly]

The black and white wasn't as much a problem as I made it out to be.  Where it fell flat for me was in finding the magical plant all by itself on a rocky outcropping at the very end.  It just seemed a hokey tack-on to give a sense of completion, and it looked so fake.  Probably not needed.  At least that's the way I remember it.  It's been a year.

BTW, I first saw Jan Bijvoet in Borgman (2013) and was very impressed.  Likewise, he's impressive here as the German explorer.

[Drunk Monk]

Where it fell flat for me was in finding the magical plant all by itself on a rocky outcropping at the very end.  It just seemed a hokey tack-on to give a sense of completion, and it looked so fake.  Probably not needed.  

Fair point.  The end was kinda dumb.  By then, the film had already pummeled us with its 'message'.  I recant my 'great film' comment and reduce it to 'okay film'.

[cranefly]

I recant my 'great film' comment and reduce it to 'okay film'.

And I'll change my "almost great" to a great film.

[Drunk Monk]

I recant my 'great film' comment and reduce it to 'okay film'.

And I'll change my "almost great" to a great film.

I see your 'great film' and raise you a 'rather okay film'.

[Greg]

Meh.