The Great Alligator was filmed in 1979, so it seems appropriate to look at it around this time of year.  Before we get into specific details, I need to be clear: this is a B-movie at best. It’s a low-budget exploitation movie that borrows heavily from Jaws and even King Kong. I actually own The Great Alligator.  It’s worth every penny I spent on it. 

• Directed by: Sergio Martino
• Written by: Cesare Frugoni. Sergio Martino. Ernesto Gastaldi
• Starring: Barbara Bach. Claudio Cassinelli. Mel Ferrer

I cover a lot of “exploitation” in movies. The classification generally refers to low-budget films that feature plot elements that are intended to be shocking or controversial. There’s usually nudity, or at least boobs. These aren’t movies that are designed to be offensive, just edgy or gritty. There are many subgenres of exploitation. We’ve briefly covered sharkspolitation, and blackspolitation.

There is a Plot!

The plot of The Great Alligator focuses on a photographer. Danie has been hired by a new resort in Africa to shoot photos for publicity. When the local god Kruna is angered by the native population associating with the resort, it takes the form of a giant alligator and goes on a rampage. 

Through Daniel’s  POV, the audience gets to see the sales pitch for the resort. It touts how much “in harmony with nature” it is. Right before we see the reality: trees being destroyed and animals fleeing their homes, for “progress”. Young animals are used as live bait to portray a false “wild” image for the tourists. 

It’s mildly ironic that an exploitation movie is largely against exploitation. Both of the environment and the indigenous people.  The colonization of the area and the effect of money and westernization on their previously remote culture does come up. It’s not explored deeply, but nothing here really is.  It’s just not that kind of movie.  

It does spend at least a little time on the character arc of the greedy hotel owner.  I didn’t expect that.  Seeing his regret take shape and then crystalize in his last minutes was rewarding. 

Is it Good?

It is fun though, and probably better than it ought to be. The underwater scenes are well done.   However, there is a basic reality of this kind of movie in that we’ve never strayed too far away from antiquated depictions of life in Africa.   Filmmakers want to freeze time in that King Kong era, where no research was done. Every depiction was like something out of a lurid pulp men’s magazine, influenced by rumor and heresay.  The Great Alligator  is pretty dedicated to covering all the greatest hits in the native stereotype playbook. This is  up to and including some light human sacrifice.   I do say light because the Kuma’s plan is more of the “appease the god” and less of the “wanton cruelty” kind.  

If I had any other complaints, it’s that for most of the movie, the wrong people die in the wrong ways.   If Kruna is angry at the Kuma for associating at the westerners, killing them makes sense. But then the Kuna turn around and kill off everyone at the hotel to try to appease the god who is killing them.  This is fine too, I guess.  Self-preservation and all. 

It’s just presented rather haphazardly. There is no universe in which this movie should make me have to put this many pieces together.  Honestly though, good on the Kuma for burning the resort. That thing was ugly.

Could It Be Remade?

If I could remake this, and really this would be fun to redo. I think exploring the depth of the effects of westernization on indigenous populations, you know through a people-eating alligator god, would be interesting.  The one thing that The Great Alligator doesn’t really address is true fault.  Again, it’s not that kind of movie. 

Both of these groups, the Kuma and the hotel workers, had good intentions. The goal was always to better their lives. But they went about it blindly, so in the end, instead of outright villainizing one group, they should be working together. The hotel staff need to realize they have intruded where they don’t belong. The Kuma need to realize they have broken taboos of their own free will.  Kruna must be appeased by both groups, before the Kuma kill off half the hotel staff and guests. 

The other thing I might want to change is the alligator model. But let’s be honest, that janky model is part of the charm of The Great Alligator. It’s terrible, unrealistic, and doesn’t really look like anything. I love it. 

Final Thoughts

Not everyone is going to enjoy The Great Alligator. I would go as far as to say very few people might get genuine enjoyment from this kind of movie. If you are in the mood to watch a bad alligator model eat a bunch of stupid people, I would cautiously recommend this. Very cautiously. 

The Great Alligator is avalable for free on YouTube. but the print is terrible.