7. Mondo Cane (1962)
Mondo Cane (It's a Dog's World) is the first ever Mondo movie which spawned an entire genre of films. It was filmed by Franco Prosperi and Gualtiero Jacopetti who are regularly referred to as 'The Godfathers of Mondo". Mondo Cane is a masterpiece of shock-filled documentary making. It is relatively tame compared to its successors but audiences in 1962 were simultaneously repulsed and fascinated by the spectacle. The film is basically a messed up travelogue throughout the world, examining shocking cultural practices. There is no thesis or coherence to the film, the images are just randomly posited there for the viewer's scrutiny. Just to give you an insight into the kind of delights Jacopetti and Prosperi captured on film I will give you details of a few scenes: Dogs being skinned and eaten in Taipei, Taiwan. In Nepal, Gurkha soldiers undergo a rite of passage by dressing as women. Nuclear based mutation of animals in Bikini Atoll. Germans getting drunk and acting the fool in Hamburg. The running of the bull and bull fighting in Portugal. In Macao, the deceased are covered in make up for their funerals. Does any of this provoke a burning curiosity in you to go out and purchase a copy of Mondo Cane? The commentary is pretty racist and condescending but I cannot deny that Mondo Cane is a beautifully shot film that presents arresting images. One of its enduring legacies is the soundtrack by the genius composer Riz Ortolani - More - that was actually nominated for an Oscar. The film still packs a mild punch today.