i grow up in brazil and i use to visit and marvel at the beautiful coast where the movie be film . the area be call parati and be part of the green coast of the rio de janeiro state . it be some 150 mile from the rio de janeiro city . this movie bring back to life the world of 16th century brazil and where european be barely start to explore the coastline and which be still in pristine state and sparsely populate by various native tribe . french and portuguese fight each other for territory and for the upper hand on the brazil wood trade and all the while negotiate with the native and who also fight each other for whatever reason . one french misfit ( a mercenary ) be leave to die by his own compatriot but manages to escape and be keep prisoner by an all naked native tribe . while he be a slave of the chief and accord to the custom of the tribe and he be allow to live in relative comfort for month until the time be right for him to be kill and eat in a ritual of revenge . what i love about this film be that it recreate in love detail the native village and their way of life ( they walk naked and be cannibal ) and ask u to recognize and accept the life in those time a it be represent in a gorgeous garden of eden and life be messy and violent and full of pathetic superstition and bizarre custom . the european arrive and bring their own problem and include more violence with good weapon and greed . there be no romanticized noble savage or heroic explorer here and it be just people try to survive in a tough world . the movie be neither unduly sympathetic nor dismissive of the native . from what i know of the subject and the depiction be fairly accurate which add an air of uniqueness to the project represent how many movie have you see regard the life of brazilian native and their early affair with european .