《叢林怪獸》是一部巴西電影，根據(jù)MariodeAndrade的同名小說(shuō)改編而成。故事發(fā)生在一個(gè)彈丸大小的叢林中，一個(gè)老婦人奇跡般地生下了一個(gè)成年男子Macunaima。Macunaima決定要尋找生命的意義，于是帶著家人和追隨者去往大都市。在旅途中，發(fā)生了很多奇跡，但Macunaima始終保持著童心。在大都市，他被恐怖分子利用，并卷入了他們的革命計(jì)劃。在大都市中，Macunaima學(xué)會(huì)了許多關(guān)于生活的教訓(xùn)，包括有時(shí)堅(jiān)果并不總是食物。該電影于1969年在巴西電影節(jié)上獲得了多個(gè)獎(jiǎng)項(xiàng)，包括最佳男主角和最佳劇本等。它將喜劇和奇幻元素融合在一起，呈現(xiàn)出一種獨(dú)特的視覺(jué)風(fēng)格，并探討了生活的意義和人性的復(fù)雜性。

Macunaíma is a crazy surrealistic Brazilian movie while being very entertaining and relatively easy to watch. Fantastic elements are incorporated well to arrive at amusing result in some sequences.

The film opens with the birth of the hero Macunaíma. The “baby”, though, is a full-grown black man while the “mom” is an aged masculine white woman. Macunaíma survives from a great flood. His two brothers and a woman and Macunaíma are forced to migrate to the city. One the way they found a gushing fountain of which the water turns Macunaíma white. One of his brothers, Jiguê, rushes to the spring but manages to wet only his soles and palms. By the time the oldest brother reaches the spring, the spring has dried up. He felt disappointed so Macunaíma reminds him, “You’re already white. What if you turn black?”

This sequence is not only ridiculous but also racist to audience who are unaccustomed to the contradiction of racial mixtures in Brazil. The critical attitude toward racial stereotypes is hard to recognized in this film and the more obvious critique is towards consumerism and capitalist development. The treatment of characterization of Macunaíma as the white “hero” is sarcastic evidence of the critical stance via the dominant myths of contemporary Brazilian society.

In light of the colonial past history of Brazil and her current economic dependence, the national identity is a long-standing issue. Hypocritic tricksters who deceit a lot to poor laborer often get flattering in Brazilian folklore and that kind of pregui?a or laziness can be regarded as a form to fight against foreign snide merchant. Macunaíma, as an impuissant but loveable hero, is popular among people. When he slays the giant, everyone may identify with him. However, defeating the bureaucracy or hypocritic officials by individual is just a pastime enjoyed by masses. The final unsatisfying end of Macunaíma, is actually arranged by director to reveal that how frangible and petit these “victories” of hero are.