After returning from studying the ancient civilization of Myrthia in Nigeria, Dr. Hess Green (Duane Jones; Night of the Living Dead) is physically assaulted by his assistant who stabs him with a germ-infested artifact and then kills himself. Soon after, Dr. Hess awakens woundless and begins experiencing unusual cravings, the kind that only human blood can satiate.
The scornful wife of Dr. Hess' assistant - Ganja (Marlene Clark) - grows weary about her missing husband and conscientiously begins a relationship with the last man to see him alive – Dr. Hess himself. Their relationship elevates into something that neither of them is prepared to handle.
If Ganja & Hess was to be mistaken for a Blacksploitation film of the 70’s such as Blacula and Shaft it would be a great misdeed for this movie. It isn’t simple to call Ganja & Hess a typical horror film either. Dr. Hess does crave human blood and his wounds do heal, but that is as far as the vampire comparisons go. He doesn’t grow fangs, there are no transformations into other animals; he is a solitary man hoping to survive with a regular life while harboring this newfound bloodlust.
The violence is minimal yet poetic and is kept in a real world tone with guns and knives, hookers and bars all the while fleshing out the transition of Dr. Hess from human to blood drinker. The audience feels the crippling psychological toll that this curse is taking on the doctor and feels his burden lifted when the cantankerous Ganja starts playing a romantic role in his life.
The slow pace hurts the film and is a reoccurring nuisance throughout the feature but the direction of Bill Gunn (who also portrays George, Dr. Hess’ assistant and Ganja’s husband) is a worthy, beautifully shot effort with a musical score that chills to the bone and festers inside the mind. Duane Jones is the true standout actor, pouring his glazed heart and foolish pride into the role of the soul tortured doctor.
Ganja & Hess is a psychological journey rather than a bloody park ride, but it is definitely unique – not a typical horror film, not an all out suspense-thriller – just the tragic story of a man and his thirst for blood.
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