how tasty was my little frenchman (1971)

Oh, when titles out-do their productions =/ Coming from the school of the Cinema Novo: an attempted dramatic story with a subtle visual influence inspired by the same spirit guiding the popular, and contemporaneous, low-fi pornochanchadas; where even the subject matter resonates this: A History of Exploitation, easily could be an alternate title. Europeans on different sides are shown pulling apart the resources and land of a previously existing culture. In this way, 'How Tasty...' can be categorized as a true exploitation film — Ultimately rejected by the Cannes Film Festival due to excessive nudity. In form :: The use of the original indigenous Tupi language, and of maintaining the languages of the separate nations (making the picture diversely linguistic) // The high number of talent playing the natives // The art design of their culture (especially the body paint) // The field-recorded tribal chants interspersed throughout the narrative // And, yes, the refreshing attitude of the general nudity of the thing. There is something to say about its use of hand-held color environmental photography, in the context of a historical drama. One can't help but make the comparison of another film that would be shooting nearby within a year (although, admittingly, by a foreign European artist); that film, of course, is Werner Herzog's 'Aguirre: the Wrath of God' (1972). However, Herzog's film contains something dos Santos's does not: enigma. The rhythm of 'How Tasty was my Little Frenchman' falls very quickly after what appears to be a vivid opening arch. Afterwards, however, there is one basic note plucked every few minutes, with not much variety or curiosity explored. The film makes a good singular view — A staging of a European captured by a native tribe, waiting out his days to be eaten. Luckily, this Frenchman, our protagonist, and because he is mistaken to be Portuguese, *is* in fact eaten at the very end of the film by the natives... but not without a prophecy ::

My friends will come to avenge me! No one of yours will remain upon this land.