Professor Harold Monroe Quotes in Cannibal Holocaust (1980)

Professor Harold Monroe: I wonder who the real cannibals are.

3rd Executive: [while having lunch with Professor Monroe in Central Park] You must admit, it's exceptional footage. I - I didn't expect such impact, such authenticity!

Professor Harold Monroe: I don't know. I don't think exceptional's the right word.

3rd Executive: You don't?

Professor Harold Monroe: No. I mean, what's exceptional about a primitive tribe like the Yacumo being... terrorized, and forced into doing something they don't... they don't normally do?

3rd Executive: Come on, Professor! Let's be realistic. Who knows anything about the Yacumo civilization? Today, people want sensationalism. The more you rape their senses, the happier they are.

Professor Harold Monroe: Ah, yes, that's typical Western thought. Civilised, isn't it? That's what Alan thought and that's why he's dead. The Yacumo Indian is a primitive, and he has to be respected as such. You know, did you ever think of the Yacumo point of view, that we might be the ones who are savages?

3rd Executive: [chuckles] Well, I've never thought of it that way; but it's an interesting idea.

Professor Harold Monroe: Yes. Let's say things were reversed, right? And the Yacumo attacked your house, defiled everything that you held holy. You know that pig that was killed? That was food for those people. Now, what'd happen if somebody went to your house when you were hungry, and... and took a little bit of food that you had in the refrigerator, and threw it down the toilet? Would you behave in a civilised way?

[the Executive ponders this for some time]

Professor Harold Monroe: Would you like people to make money off your misery?

Chaco Losojos: They just want to show us they are brave warriors. And they want us to follow them to the village.

Professor Harold Monroe: Follow them?

Chaco Losojos: Yeah, to return the prisoner, and to talk.

Professor Harold Monroe: Hey listen, I-I don't know about this. I think they want us for dinner tonight.

Chaco Losojos: [while examining a corpse] Hey, professor! I recognize these teeth. This is Felipe Ocanya. He knew the jungle as well as I do.

Professor Harold Monroe: That makes me feel terrific.

Professor Harold Monroe: [voice over] We weren't able to get anything out of the Yanomamo except for the wristwatch they gave us as a token of their gratitude to an ally, an ally they continue to fear and mistrust, so I've decided to try an experiment in psychology: to strip myself completely, clothes, weapons, dog tags, rings, everything, to become like them, naked and unfettered as Adam.

Professor Harold Monroe: Yes, yes, that is precisely what I want. I've seen the rest of the material, you haven't. You haven't seen the stuff that even your editors didn't have the stomach to put together, and if you had, you wouldn't hesitate but to agree with me.

Chaco Losojos: You did it, goddamnit! They've just invited us to dinner!

Professor Harold Monroe: They what?

Professor Harold Monroe: All I want to know, Mr. Chaco, is... do we have a chance of finding them alive?

Chaco Losojos: Who's to say? The only thing I know is we're gonna risk our lives to save those fuckers. Let's go see the Yacumo.