The film’s marketing and hyper-realistic special effects were so convincing that Italian authorities believed it was a genuine "snuff" film. Ten days after its premiere in Milan, the film was confiscated, and director Ruggero Deodato was charged with multiple counts of murder.
While the murder charges were dropped, Deodato and the producers were still convicted of obscenity and animal cruelty. The Animal Cruelty Controversy index of cannibal holocaust 1980
While the human deaths were fake, the animal deaths were real. The film features the on-screen killing of a large turtle, a monkey, a pig, and a snake. This remains the most criticized aspect of the film and is the reason many modern viewers—even those who love horror—choose to avoid it. Most modern "index" versions or "director's cuts" now include an option to watch the film with the animal cruelty scenes edited out. Social Commentary or Exploitation? The Animal Cruelty Controversy While the human deaths
What he finds are the remains of the crew and their canisters of film. The second half of the movie is the "index" of that footage—a brutal, unvarnished look at the crew's descent into depravity, which ultimately led to their demise at the hands of indigenous tribes. Why the "Index Of" Search is Popular Most modern "index" versions or "director's cuts" now
The court believed the actors had actually been killed on camera. Deodato was forced to: