The Naked Jungle

Dir: Byron Haskin

1954

**

Based on the 1937 short story Leiningen Versus the Ants by Carl Stephenson, The Naked Jungle is a film of two halves. What starts as an unconvincing melodrama suddenly turns into a ant-themed disaster film, it’s not quite the pay off I’d hoped it would be but the film isn’t without its appeal. Set in 1901, Joanna (Eleanor Parker) arrives from New Orleans at a South American cocoa plantation to meet her new husband, plantation owner Christopher Leiningen (Charlton Heston). This has been arranged by his brother in New Orleans, with whom she has had some form of relationship. Not only is Leiningen unhappy about getting his brother's "hand-me-downs" he is even more upset that she is a widow, as he wished to marry a virgin. Leiningen is cold and remote to her, rebuffing all her attempts to make friends with him. She is beautiful, independent, and arrives ready to be his stalwart helpmate. There is a strong sexual tension, which appears hard to resolve. He mocks her lack of understanding of the native ways and takes every opportunity to belittle her. Although there is a mutual softening she resolves to leave him and return to America. Leiningen decides to advance this plan by a month when he hears from the local commissioner of a potential attack by an army of ants, as he does not wish her to be harmed. As she awaits the boat to take her back to the United States, they learn that legions of army ants - the "marabunta" - will strike in a few days' time. Leiningen refuses to give up the home he fought so hard to create. Instead of evacuating, he resolves to make a stand against this indomitable natural predator. The ants take several days to arrive and during that time their joint effort brings them closer and love begins to blossom. Joanna joins the fight to save the plantation. Leiningen last hope is the drastic action of blowing up a timber dam to flood his own estate, washing the ants away. It’ll take years to rebuild but the fact that Joanna will be by his side and will thus understand his plight, will make the task easier. The first half of the film is dated, even by 1954 standards. Heston’s Leiningen is like a petulant child, he’s abusive, a narcissist and woefully misogynistic. There is nothing in it for Joanna and it never becomes clever why she goes to so much effort for him. He doesn’t become any less misogynistic either, only less abusive but only for the ending, you just know a character like that will eventually make her life hell. I can’t help but think that her character would probably end up wishing the ants had got her. The film picks up a bit when the ants do arrive but it’s a completely different film. I’ve often thought, half way through a boring film, how much better it would be if aliens suddenly invaded or if people began exploding, so I was thrilled when the tiresome melodrama was suddenly infested with destructive insects. I only wish they were giant radioactive ants. As painfully melodramatic as the first half is, the script is occasionally sharp and quite wonderfully so. When Leiningen shares his disappointment that his new wife isn’t a virgin, she’s tactfully quips that “a piano plays better if it has already been played.” The sexual tension is still disturbing though and its hard to like. Eleanor Parker’s character is flawed but her performance steals the show, followed closely by William Conrad’s performance as the Commissioner. Charlton Heston’s performance was over-baked, as it so often was, so in many respects it was perfect casting. My favourite scene is still the one where the village drunk gets his skin eaten off down to the bone while sleeping off a night of drinking. It’s not worth watching the film for though. I find it odd that it was produced by George Pal who brought us such classics as Destination Moon, The War of the Worlds, The Time Machine among many. It’s a poor man’s Tennessee Williams play at best and if you want ants then watch Them!, which came out the same year or fast-forward twenty years and watch Phase IV instead. Better still, cover your face in honey and lay down outside for a while are let real ants crawl over you for 90 minutes, trust me, it’ll be more entertaining than watching this.