Cannibalism

The Tag in question relates to movies focusing on the theme of human cannibalism, also known as anthropophagy; that is, people consuming the flesh of other members of their species. Well-documented in a large number of primitive cultures on various continents, the practice of consuming human flesh can be attributed to a variety of reasons and can take on various meanings:

1. Cannibalism as a cultural practice: closely linked to symbolic or ritualistic acts (for example, the belief that eating the flesh of the dead allows the cannibal to absorb the characteristics or strength of the departed);
2. Cannibalism as a nutritional necessity: in rare, extreme circumstances, the practice may be seen as the only alternative to a slow death by starvation (classic examples being the Donner Party or the Nazino tragedy, a despicable social experiment organized by Soviet authorities in 1933);
3. Cannibalism as a psychopathology: in some cases, subjects affected by specific psychiatric disturbances have engaged in episodes of anthropophagy. For the most part, these individuals are serial killers, such as Jeffry Dahmer or Andrei Chikatilo, the Soviet-era serial killer also known as the "Butcher of Rostov" or the "Red Ripper";
4. "Therapeutic" cannibalism: widespread throughout Europe from the 15th through 17th century, the practice called for the use of human remains as ingredients to cure certain maladies. Ground bones, fresh blood, and fat were considered essential components in preparing products with supposed medical properties.

 
The provocative and incendiary potential inherent in the gruesome topic made it a cinematic success. Particularly in the late 1960s, exploitation and other genre films began featuring the theme with increasing frequency. In fact, a morbid fascination with cannibals helped them carve out a significant niche in the history of the Seventh Art, from George A. Romero's zombies to the psychopaths of the 1970s; from the tropical tribes of Italian cannibal movies all the way to the cinematic adaptations of Thomas Harris's popular novels.