I didn’t even know he was ill. When Wes Craven’s passing was announced I was numb. The gravity of the loss felt in the film world was palpable, especially in horror. Mr. Craven was one of us, a great champion of the genre. And for those that called him a hack – and there were a few – if they didn’t know it then, know it now, and remember it forever - he revived the genre not once but twice.

Slashers had choked like weeds all the freshness from horror until Mr. Craven came along with the startlingly original A Nightmare on Elm Street. And then, in the 90’s as we wept for anything fun in the genre, he came roaring back with the astounding Scream and revitalized the genre, again.

As I was asked to write this piece on Serpent and the Rainbow, I thought back on what was the first film of his that I saw. The funny thing was, I couldn’t pinpoint it. Possibly The Hills Have Eyes? Could it have been Deadly Blessing? It’s hard to say. It certainly wasn’t in the 70’s, as we didn’t have a VCR in our house until 1980. I guess my point is that when I started watching horror on tape, his early films (including The Last House on the Left) were already there, waiting for me to dive in. I had the luxury of moving back and forth in the celluloid time machine. Sure, Nightmare hit hard – I was 14 at the time, the first of his films I saw in the theatre, and it was visually striking (and to be honest, his films really weren’t up to that point). So after that, I started to pay closer attention to his work. It was all the more shocking to realise that I had only seen The Serpent and the Rainbow once before today. I couldn’t believe it, but then I remembered – I wasn’t crazy about it the first time around, 27 years ago.

So I cued it up today, and for those who haven’t seen it, a little story: Dennis Alan (Bill Pullman), an anthropologist, is hired by a Boston pharmaceutical firm to find, and bring back, a drug used in Voodoo rituals in 1985 Haiti that is believed to cause zombification (you have the appearance of death for hours before the drug wears off). The firm’s goal is to use the drug as an anaesthetic that will be more effective in lessening analgesic induced deaths in the operating room. So off Alan goes to Haiti, in the middle of a political uprising (the last days of Dictator ‘Baby Doc’ Duvalier – used as a backdrop, but never really indulged in the screenplay) , where he receives help from a doctor, Mariele (Cathy Tyson), and Lucien (Paul Winfield), a Voodoo priest and nightclub owner. Their first goal is to track down a Haitian named Christophe (Conrad Roberts) who was buried 7 years previous, and presumed dead, but who has been seen lately lurking around the graveyard. Finding Christophe will provide the clues to who is making the zombification drug and how they can obtain it. Standing in their way is Captain Peytraud (Zakes Mokae), the leader of the TonTon Macoute, Duvalier’s private army. At first his warnings to Alan are gentle, almost fatherly, but grow increasingly violent as Alan gets closer to the truth behind the drug and its insidious use on the island and its people, culminating in a battle between darkness and light.

So, here I am 27 years later, and has my verdict changed? Absolutely. When it was released in ’88, I was expecting the Craven of Nightmare. And while there are some concessions to it (some very effective dream sequences, and a finale that follows the Freddy formula a little too closely), what I got (or rather, what 18 year old me got) was a straightforward narrative very much rooted in reality, even if said reality included Voodoo. Back then I wanted to be amazed, and this borderline adventure tale was just not cutting it. Ah, youth. SATR automatically flies up the Craven chart for me now for many reasons.

First, it’s one of the more structurally sound films he made (18 year old me didn’t care about narrative architecture), with an engaging flow (no small thanks to the smart screenplay by Richard Maxwell and Adam Rodman). Second, Craven believes in the material – the insight into the Voodoo culture drips with authenticity and conviction. Third, the performances really sell the goods, as Craven always had a great rapport with his actors. Pullman, seen the year before in Spaceballs, plays Alan with a refreshing subtlety that puts you on his side from the start. Tyson (Mona Lisa)'s Mariele is a wise guide who knows all too well the dangers ahead, and her clear headed intelligence buoys the character from becoming a one note damsel in distress. Winfield (Damnation Alley) and Mokae (Vampire in Brooklyn, a later Craven effort) bring class and conviction as opposing Voodoo forces. Mokae in particular shines, showing more evil in a simple smile than a thousand chainsaws or machetes.

And above all this, The Serpent and the Rainbow works because of Craven’s best quality as a filmmaker: Sincerity. Whether he wrote a project or not, you always felt his belief in the material. No cynical cashing in, even when for hire, his unflagging optimism and devotion carried us through lesser works. When the stars aligned as they did with SATR, his touch was magical. Now that he’s gone, I can revisit his vast and varied catalogue with fresh eyes. The 18 year old had no time for sincerity. The 45 year old treasures it. Thank you, Mr. Craven.

The Serpent and the Rainbow is available on DVD and will be coming soon in a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray from Scream Factory.

  • Scott Drebit
    About the Author - Scott Drebit

    Scott Drebit lives and works in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He is happily married (back off ladies) with 2 grown kids. He has had a life-long, torrid, love affair with Horror films. He grew up watching Horror on VHS, and still tries to rewind his Blu-rays. Some of his favourite horror films include Phantasm, Alien, Burnt Offerings, Phantasm, Zombie, Halloween, and Black Christmas. Oh, and Phantasm.