Áurea married and entrusts her life, as well as her mother Maria's life, to a mad-man. He believes that he is going to farm the desert. He keeps her captive with insanity and constantly threatened brutality.
A group of run-away slaves, living near by, have access to salt. Salt is more than the mad-man and his captive bride Áurea have. Salt brought-in to the slaves by a soul-less trader dominates the mad-man who has impregnated his wife just before he has a mantrum and accidentally kills himself ripping-down their drift-wood shack.
The run-away slaves in this film are perfectly treacherous. They intentionally prevent the women--Mother Maria, Áurea and daughter Maria--their opportunity to escape that wasteland. They do not inform the women that the scientific expedition has arrived again.
They keep mum for the purpose of holding power over the women. To keep them to themselves. To allow time and desolation to break their spirits.
When Áurea finally decides that her life isn't worth spit and pretties-herself-up to become the whore of the head slave, her daughter Maria sees that the world she was born into is clearly an insane power-struggle. The total nowhere-ness of their life in the sand is pure depression without Prozac. Helplessness is a major theme.
Then Áurea finally succumbs to Stockholm syndrome. She identifies with her slave captors, feels herself exiled to nothingness and gives-up. When, finally, an opportunity arrives to escape--she cannot leave.
She stays, outlives the all male slaves, and ends-up 100% alone, isolated and has ended-up living a completely wasted life. Prisoners have more social contact, more things to do, better food, a chance of release and live happier more viable lives.
I have never seen a sadder, more desolate, hopeless film.
A group of run-away slaves, living near by, have access to salt. Salt is more than the mad-man and his captive bride Áurea have. Salt brought-in to the slaves by a soul-less trader dominates the mad-man who has impregnated his wife just before he has a mantrum and accidentally kills himself ripping-down their drift-wood shack.
The run-away slaves in this film are perfectly treacherous. They intentionally prevent the women--Mother Maria, Áurea and daughter Maria--their opportunity to escape that wasteland. They do not inform the women that the scientific expedition has arrived again.
They keep mum for the purpose of holding power over the women. To keep them to themselves. To allow time and desolation to break their spirits.
When Áurea finally decides that her life isn't worth spit and pretties-herself-up to become the whore of the head slave, her daughter Maria sees that the world she was born into is clearly an insane power-struggle. The total nowhere-ness of their life in the sand is pure depression without Prozac. Helplessness is a major theme.
Then Áurea finally succumbs to Stockholm syndrome. She identifies with her slave captors, feels herself exiled to nothingness and gives-up. When, finally, an opportunity arrives to escape--she cannot leave.
She stays, outlives the all male slaves, and ends-up 100% alone, isolated and has ended-up living a completely wasted life. Prisoners have more social contact, more things to do, better food, a chance of release and live happier more viable lives.
I have never seen a sadder, more desolate, hopeless film.