Woodyanders Review of Iguana

Iguana (1988)

A compellingly stark and harsh allegory on human cruelty

[8/10 · 18 September 2007]

Character actor Everett McGill gives an excellent performance in a rare substantial starring role as Oberlus, a bitter and misanthropic outcast harpooner with a grotesquely disfigured face which gives him a hideous lizard-like appearance. Oberlus is severely mistreated by his fellow sailors, so one night he escapes to a small remote island. Oberlus makes himself ruler of the island and declares war on the rest of mankind. Anyone luckless enough to wash up on the shore of this island becomes subject to Oberlus' cruel tyranny. Cult director Monte Hellman offers an intriguing and provocative allegory on the darkest and most bestial aspects of human nature, specifically addressing how a man can be transformed into a foul and vicious monster by the inhumanity of others. McGill excels as the angry and venomous Oberlus; he receives fine support from Fabio Testi as his mean chief tormentor Gamboa, the lovely Maru Valdivielso as the fiery, free-spirited Carmen, Joseph Culp as whiny intellectual Dominic, Michael Madsen as the cowed Sebastian, and Jack Taylor as a stern ship captain. Josep M. Civit's bright, crisp cinematography, Franco Campanino's haunting score (the ending credits theme song sung by Joni Mitchell is truly beautiful), and the poignant ending further add to the overall hypnotic power of this offbeat and interesting item.