User Reviews

Really original choices save "Desmundo" from falling into banality. Here, a young nun is sent to a portuguese colony in Brasil. There she is forced to marry a colonist who mistreats her frequently. She fights, but will it be a fair fight? The theme is new to cinematographic shores, and this movie is one of the few to deal with it: the portuguese kingdom in Brasil. And they try to make the best of it, but they can't help the movie to be unevenly paced, with varying intensity. The real conflict comes a little too late, and is little exploited. Anyway, they made a good choice of language (it sounds like the language of Galicia), and the cinematography is greatly achieved. The lead actress has great enchantment, and even the villain has some humanity sometimes, even if he's a scumbag. But it's a good bet, it is good to see this theme depicted on the silver screen.

This Film is has an interesting topic, story, it is well acted and well filmed. Unfortunately the story fails to achieve any theme or idea beyond what is simply displayed. If the point was merely to show that 16th century brasil was a cruel place where many suffered a great deal it is accomplished. However several loose ends and a lack of events prevent this movie from being really good. However an excellent portrayal of 1570 Brazil.

In period pre-colonial circa 1570 the Portuguese crown send to Brazil several orphans girls raised in the nunnery, the large majority composed by underage girls, they were offer for a best bid by a Priest to wealthy old farmers at this time, mostly with lewd behavior, one of them the shy Oriebela (Simone Spoladore) who was trade by two cows only by the older rough Francisco de Albuquerque (Osmar Prado) which forced a sexual intercourse still on the port's lodge to the dismay of the virgin girl.

After a long journey on narrow trails at forest they reach in the Francisco's farmer where all labors were made by slaves Indians, trading by Ximeno Dias (Caco Ciocler) who often captures them with others opposite tribes, meanwhile Oriebela has been mistreated by his crude husband, that ends up running away to the shore seeking for Galleon to take her back to Portugal, Oriebela has been rescued in time to be raped at beach, back on the farmer she stays being held captive upon chains for weeks or so, after the release she became meek for a while, turns back fleeing to nearby small village seeking shelter at Ximeno's house, even reluctantly the j.e.w.s.h Ximeno nourishes a sexual desire over the beauty woman, fostering himself hidden Oriebela at his secret cellar for a while.

In the meantime Francisco is looking everywhere and recover his mule whereof Oriebela escapes, then he figures out that she was around in some hideout provides by someone else closed him, worst the new couple Oriebela and Ximeno end up involving in sexually, upon the siege of Francisco they planning together got a Spanish Galleon to flee back into the Portugal Kingdom.

Desmundo is a fictitious book, however the writer based of course in something alike in those past time, commonly feasible in this bleak era, also expose a very possible in.ce.tuous relationship between Francisco and old mother where the picture quite sure implied to the less tipped off, a real portrait of those foggy days the unvarnished true, also spoke in ancient Portuguese languague a true Gem of the battered Brazilian cinema, at last a priceless one!!

Thanks for reading.

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First Watch: 2023 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.

This film portrays the suffering and humiliation of an ex-convent bound orphan given no choice but to get married to a colonial strongman.

Its spoken in archaic portuguese which seems like a big mix of formal portuguese and spanish. This makes it especially interesting to portuguese and spanish speakers. Of course subtitles are included to help out.

The actors did a great job, especially the female lead. Simone Spoladore is fast making a name for herself as one of the best females actresses of Brazil. Needless to say she is very beautiful as well. The male cast does just as well.

I recommend this film strongly. The archaic portugues and the haunting visual portrayal of Brazil in 1570's draw you into the period and the story of a desperate woman.