The Season of Horror Lives: Genocide (1968)

Way back when, during the inaugural Season of Horror, I purchased the Criterion Eclipse Series 37 set, When Horror Came to Shochiku, to broaden my horror horizons. Eight years later, I'm finally getting around to digging in to the set with today's featured film, Genocide. It seemed an appropriate time to explore some good old fashioned ecological horror, and this one is a doozy. It is currently streaming on the Criterion Channel. 

"The Earth doesn't belong to human beings alone. We don't care if mankind destroys itself with nuclear weapons, but we refuse to let you take us with you. Destroy the human race! Genocide. Exterminate all humans!"

The Gist

Joji is a newlywed with a brooding, blonde girlfriend for whom he procures insects as a side hustle, while his new wife is left to fend off the advances of her predatory boss at the hotel where she works. After a B-52 bomber carrying a hydrogen bomb is downed by a swarm of insects, U.S. Air Force officials are tasked with searching for the missing H-bomb before it can be found by Eastern bloc agents. Dr. Nagumo, who has been studying the poisonous insects Joji has sent him from the island, makes a terrifying discovery after being bitten by the insects. In the end, Air Force Lieutenant Gordon enlists Dr. Nagumo's help and shares his plan to save the day. 

Memorable Moments

"Their eggs? That's bizarre. Unbelievable! Insects don't lay eggs in human bodies."

"The human heart holds nothing but hatred. Our history is a cycle of hate and war. We know nothing of love. We only know hatred!"

"I don't care whether I live in a free society or a communist one. I just want to breed vast numbers of insects that drive people mad and scatter them all over the world."

"It's hard to believe. I heard insects voices. Yet we have to believe it. They're sensitive creatures. They fear nuclear destruction more than we do, so they've turned against us."

"Insect behavior has been abnormal all over the world. The damage they're causing is spreading. Planes everywhere are flying into swarms and crashing. Genocide...the annihilation of mankind, the screaming of insects."

My Thoughts

The horrors of Vietnam, the Holocaust, Hiroshima and Nagasaki are all referenced in this film and serve as evidence that human beings are failed stewards of the Earth. Apparently, the insects have taken notice and have decided to do something about it. The convoluted B movie elements in this film make it difficult to follow at times, but there is some real substance here that makes it interesting and worthwhile to watch. It is definitely a movie of its time and I recommend it to those who enjoy eco-horror. 

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