Slave of the Cannibal God 1978

Adventure

Horror

Runtime

102 mins

Language

Italian

Made by

Dania Film

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Slave of the Cannibal God Plot Summary

Read the complete plot summary and ending explained for Slave of the Cannibal God (1978). From turning points to emotional moments, uncover what really happened and why it matters.

Susan Stevenson, [Ursula Andress], is trying to find her missing anthropologist husband, Henry, in the jungles of New Guinea. She and her brother Arthur Weisser, [Antonio Marsina], enlist the services of Professor Edward Foster, [Stacy Keach], who thinks her husband might have headed for the mountain Ra Ra Me, which sits off the coast on the island of Roka. The locals say the mountain is cursed, and the authorities will not permit expeditions there, so the searchers secretly slip into the wild to begin their quest. They make it to the island and, after facing dangerous wildlife such as anacondas, alligators, and tarantulas, meet another jungle explorer, Manolo [Claudio Cassinelli], who has been staying at a nearby mission camp and agrees to join the expedition.

Each person arrives with their own hidden motive for coming to the island, beyond finding Susan’s missing husband. Susan and Arthur are secretly after uranium deposits. Foster explains that he had been on the island a few years earlier, was captured by a tribe of primitive cannibals, and has returned only to wipe them out if they still exist. The group presses on toward the mountain, and tragedy soon follows: Arthur is killed, and Manolo and Susan are captured by the cannibals and taken to their cave. There, they discover the natives worshiping the skeletal remains of Susan’s husband, and they find a photo of Henry and Susan as a couple. The tribe can hear Henry’s Geiger counter ticking and believe his heart is still beating. They treat Henry as their Cannibal God, and Susan is spared while others are consumed. The tribe coats her entire body with an orange cream by two native girls, first appearing as a honey-like torture, but it marks her transformation into a Cannibal Goddess after she tastes and eats Arthur’s cooked remains. A cannibal’s attempt to rape Susan is thwarted when the aggressor is emasculated and killed as punishment. Manolo is tortured and bound, but Susan and Manolo eventually manage to escape, having endured a brutal ordeal.

Slave of the Cannibal God Timeline

Follow the complete movie timeline of Slave of the Cannibal God (1978) with every major event in chronological order. Great for understanding complex plots and story progression.

Search for Henry begins with Foster's team

Susan Stevenson enlists her brother Arthur and Professor Edward Foster to locate her missing husband Henry in the jungles around Ra Ra Me on the island of Roka. With authorities refusing expeditions, they plan a covert search into dangerous terrain.

Jungle of Ra Ra Me, island of Roka

Secret entry into the jungle

The group slips past official restrictions and enters the jungle to start their expedition. They expect harsh conditions and hidden threats as they push toward the mountain.

Jungle around Ra Ra Me, island of Roka

New ally joins: Manolo

They meet Manolo, a seasoned jungle explorer staying at a nearby mission camp, who agrees to join the perilous trek. His presence offers practical experience and adds another layer of tension to the mission.

Mission camp near Ra Ra Me, island of Roka

Private motives revealed

Susan and Arthur reveal their ulterior goal of locating uranium deposits on the island. Foster explains his own past: he was captured by cannibals years earlier and has returned to eradicate them.

Jungle encampment near mission camp

Wildlife hazards encountered

The expedition confronts dangerous wildlife, including anacondas, alligators, and tarantulas, testing their resolve. These encounters underscore the brutal environment and foreshadow harsher ordeals ahead.

Jungle en route to Ra Ra Me

Arrival at Ra Ra Me; Arthur dies

The party reaches the mountain Ra Ra Me, but tragedy strikes when Arthur is killed during the ascent. The group must cope with unexpected loss as they press on toward the peak.

Base of Ra Ra Me

Cannibal capture and cave

Susan and Manolo are captured by cannibals and brought to their cave. There, they discover the skeletal remains of Henry and learn that the natives worship him as a Cannibal God.

Cannibal cave

The Henry signal: Geiger counter and photos

The cannibals hear Henry's Geiger counter ticking and believe his heart still beats. They also uncover a photo of Henry and Susan as a couple, reinforcing their reverence for Henry.

Cannibal cave

Susan's transformation during rites

Susan is spared initially as the cannibals continue their rites, but she endures being bound and smeared with orange cream. After tasting Arthur's cooked remains, she is accepted into the cannibal rite and becomes a Cannibal Goddess.

Cannibal cave

Manolo's torture and punishment

Manolo is tied up and tortured while the others are consumed by the cannibals. A cannibal's attempt to rape Susan is thwarted when the aggressor is emasculated and killed as punishment.

Cannibal cave

Escape plan forms and escape

Susan and Manolo endure the brutal ordeals, devising a plan to escape from the cannibals' cave. They manage to free themselves and flee into the surrounding jungle.

Cannibal cave to jungle

Safe after escape

Having escaped the cannibals, Susan and Manolo survive the harrowing ordeal and continue their uncertain future on the island. The immediate danger of Ra Ra Me is behind them, but the memory of what they endured lingers.

Jungle near cannibal cave

Slave of the Cannibal God Characters

Explore all characters from Slave of the Cannibal God (1978). Get detailed profiles with their roles, arcs, and key relationships explained.

Susan Stevenson (Ursula Andress)

Susan travels to the New Guinea jungle to locate her missing anthropologist husband. She collaborates with Professor Foster and her brother Arthur, but each has hidden motives that complicate the search. After being captured by the cannibals, she endures ritualized treatment and is ultimately spared when the cannibals honor Henry as their Cannibal God, before she and Manolo escape.

🧭 Explorer 🎯 Determined

Professor Edward Foster (Stacy Keach)

An experienced academic who leads the expedition, Foster reveals a past captivity by cannibals and a desire to wipe them out if they still exist. He joins the search believing the mountain might hold Henry's fate and he dies while climbing a waterfall.

🧠 Scholar 🧭 Explorer

Arthur Weisser (Antonio Marsina)

Susan's brother accompanies the expedition as a partner in the search, but his motives include uranium discovery. He is killed upon reaching the mountain by the cannibals.

💰 Greed 🧭 Explorer

Manolo (Claudio Cassinelli)

A jungle explorer who has been staying at a nearby mission camp; he joins the group's expedition. He is captured and tortured by cannibals but endures and helps Susan escape.

🗺️ Adventurer

Slave of the Cannibal God Settings

Learn where and when Slave of the Cannibal God (1978) takes place. Explore the film’s settings, era, and how they shape the narrative.

Location

New Guinea jungle, Ra Ra Me mountain, island of Roka

Set in the jungles of New Guinea and the isolated Ra Ra Me mountain on the island of Roka. The expedition traverses dense jungle, dangerous wildlife, and rugged terrain as they search for Susan's missing husband. Local myths portray the mountain as cursed, amplifying the sense of danger and isolation.

🌴 Jungle 🗺️ Island 🧭 Expedition

Slave of the Cannibal God Themes

Discover the main themes in Slave of the Cannibal God (1978). Analyze the deeper meanings, emotional layers, and social commentary behind the film.

🍖

Cannibalism

The film centers on cannibal tribes who revere a Cannibal God, turning Susan into a focal point of ritual power. The narrative uses the cannibal ritual to explore how outsiders are commodified, dehumanized, and exploited. The encounters with the tribe underscore the fragility of civilization under extreme conditions.

💰

Greed

The expedition is rooted in private motives beyond finding a missing husband. Susan and Arthur pursue uranium deposits, while others have their own hidden agendas. The pursuit of wealth and resources drives the danger and moral compromises of the mission.

🧭

Survival

The group faces life-threatening dangers from wildlife and hostile terrain. Alliances shift as trust erodes under pressure, forcing characters to endure ordeals that test loyalty and courage. The jungle environment amplifies fear and forces brutal decisions as they strive to escape.

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Slave of the Cannibal God Spoiler-Free Summary

Discover the spoiler-free summary of Slave of the Cannibal God (1978). Get a concise overview without any spoilers.

In the tangled heart of New Guinea’s rainforest, a relentless search begins. Susan Stevenson is haunted by the disappearance of her anthropologist husband, Henry, and enlists her brother, Arthur Weisser, to follow the faint trail into an uncharted wilderness. The jungle’s towering canopy, echoing calls of unseen creatures, and the whispered legends surrounding the forbidden mountain of Ra Ra Me create a landscape that feels both alluring and hostile. Their journey promises a clash between personal desperation and the untamed mysteries that hide beyond the mapped world.

Joining them are a handful of uneasy allies. Professor Edward Foster, a scholarly explorer with his own academic obsessions, brings a measured, almost clinical curiosity to the expedition. The rugged wanderer Manolo arrives from a distant mission camp, his weathered experience hinting at a deeper connection to the island’s secretive past. Each traveler carries motives that linger beneath the surface—curiosity, ambition, and perhaps something more concealed—setting up a delicate web of trust and tension as they press onward toward the mountain’s shadowed summit.

Beneath the humid stillness, rumors of a secluded cult devoted to a cannibal deity swirl among the local folklore. The very air seems tinged with an ancient dread, as rituals driven by death and a thirst for blood are said to linger in hidden clearings and stone‑carved caves. The sense of looming danger is palpable, a constant undercurrent that transforms the expedition from a simple rescue into a confrontation with forces that defy reason. The jungle becomes a character in its own right—beautiful, unforgiving, and brimming with secrets waiting to be uncovered.

As the group delves deeper, the line between explorer and prey blurs, and the stakes rise beyond the personal quest. The oppressive humidity, the chorus of wildlife, and the ever‑present whisper of an unseen presence create a relentless atmosphere of suspense. In this treacherous world, every step forward is a step further into the unknown, where the true nature of the jungle—and what lies at its heart—may change each traveler forever.

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