GOLDEN TEMPLE AMAZONS (1986)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *uncanny*
MYTHICITY: *poor*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *sociological*

Compared to the majority of Jesus Franco films I've seen, this throwback to old Tarzan films-- albeit with an increase of nudity and sadism-- distinguishes itself in that it actually has a plot, however simple.

Like other European jungle-girls of the period, Liana (Analia Ivars, billed as "Joan Virly") wears savage attire that allows the lubricious viewer a few peeks at her secondary sex characteristics, though not much more. Liana's origin actually has some broad similarity to that of the quintessential jungle-girl Sheena, in that both girls lose their parental figures to violence and are raised by African tribesmen, which apparently accounts for their aggressive tendencies. However, whereas Sheena's dad is a noble explorer killed for no good reason, Liana's is murdered for having stolen nuggets of gold from the sacred caves of the local chapter of the Blonde White Amazons.

From what one sees in the opening scenes, Liana enjoys a stress-free existence, bumming around the jungle with friendly elephants and chimps. However, once she's reminded that she witnessed her father's (rather timely) death, she becomes hot to gain vengeance on the Amazons and their evil leader Uruck (William Berger). She and her buddies-- a chimp and a comedy relief fat guy-- joins a European expedition that just happens to be going to the same legendary "golden temple." No tolerance for the Amazons' right to protect their own territory, I guess.

Since Franco's rarely interested in cinematic fight-choreography, the whole expedition is captured by the Amazons pretty easily. Evil Uruck, who was directly responsible for having Liana's father killed, decides that he'd like to make the jungle waif his queen. However, first Liana has to fight the current queen Rena (Eva Leon) for that privilege, which Liana is glad to do. Liana wins the fight-- better than average for Franco-- but she refuses Uruck and remains a prisoner. While Uruck plots Liana's demise, he kills time by allowing Rena to torture two of the Europeans. The torture-scene is actually rather imaginative: Rena positions two victims, bound back to back, within a field of pointed stakes and then hits both of them with her whip. The game is to see which of the two victims will weaken first, so that he or she accidentally precipitates the other captive onto the stakes. Since Franco isn't a particularly imaginative filmmaker, I tend to wonder if he stole the idea from Sade or some more creative individual.

Almost needless to say, Liana's chimp helps the heroine escape for the low-energy finish. After Uruck's death, Liana callously expels the Amazons from their own mountain, as if she still feels herself aggrieved for the raids both she and her father made on the Amazon domain. This jungle-film doesn't need any "exploitative white guys," since the heroine fills in that blank all by herself.