The Territory () is a 1981 Portuguese philosophical horror film directed by Chilean filmmaker Raúl Ruiz about two American families who resort to cannibalism shortly after getting lost on a camping trip in the South of France. The film, about the animalistic nature of humans when they disregard their "civilized" instincts, obliquely addresses themes of "exile and crossing boundaries: of language, nation and morality".
Cast
Isabelle Weingarten as Françoise, Jim's partner
Rebecca Pauly as Barbara, Peter's partner
Geoffrey Carey as Peter, Barbara's partner
Jeffrey Kime as Jim, Françoise's partner
Paul Getty Jr. as Guide, uncle to Linda's daughter
Shila Turna as Linda
Artur Semedo as Indefinite man
Camila Mora as Young girl
Ethan Stone as Young boy, Françoise's son
José Nascimento as Prawler
Duarte de Almeida as Indefinite man's friend, found in the territory as a man lost for much longer than them Rita Nascimento as Linda's daughter
Production
The circumstances in which the film was produced, and the extent of Corman's involvement, are somewhat mysterious, co-writer Adair claiming that the film was made under "hair-raising conditions" in Sintra. The production's budgetary difficulties inspired New German Cinema director Wim Wenders to make the Golden Lion-winning The State of Things (1982) with much of the same cast and crew.
Reception
Stephen Holden from The New York Times called it "an odd little art film that has the feel of a European version of an episode of The Twilight Zone." Dennis Schwartz of Ozus' World Movie Reviews awarded the film a grade B+, calling it "Deliciously subversive".