Manaos (1979) User Reviews (6)

Jungle Boogie

[Bezenby · 5/10 · 5 December 2018]

Man, the upbeat disco theme tune truly sets you up for the grim turn-of-the-century slave plantation plot.

Somewhere in Brazil, an uppity jerk rules a rubber plantation full of slaves made up of the local tribesmen, wanderers that have been grabbed, and people the guy just plain hates. This includes Fabio Testi, whose wife was murdered by the jerk and whose kid died on the death march to the plantation. Then there's Howard, who cheated on the plantation owner's wife (Agnostina Belli). Agnostina herself is the newest member of staff, thrown in a hut as the slaves pounce on her.

These three, plus one Spanish guy playing a tribeman, all escape and the bulk of the film details their journey through the jungle to Ecuador...then back again as they change their mind.

It's kind of like Spartacus: Rubber Plant Slave Edition, as our crew gather more freed slaves to take on The Man. Due to the grim start where Agnostina Belli is thrown to the slaves as a plaything, I thought this was going to one of those depressing deals, but the rest is straightforward action. They don't even harm any animals, judging by them having the fakest looking spider ever in there.

Loads of shootouts and jungle travelling keep things going as our heroes turn the tables on the slavemasters, plus you get a bizarre sub-plot involving someone stealing rubber plant seeds to destroy the industry that pretty much all happens off-screen. Flroinda Balken turns up as the rich wife of one of these guys and gives a moving speech about the horrors of slavery.

I guess a lot of people where expecting something much nastier considering the films released around this time, but as an action film its pretty satisfying.

not quite what it could have been

[Aylmer · 5/10 · 26 July 2009]

Despite some mind-blowing international exploitation movie genre star casting and easily the most awkwardly ridiculous theme song in history, MANAOS succeeds in being little more than a tepid curiosity piece of the forgotten jungle action genre.

Alberto Vasquez Figueroa is probably the most successful Spanish author to realize screen adaptations of his works. He also wrote the novelizations for other English-language films as Monte Hellman's IGUANA, Enzo Castellari's TUAREG, and Richard Fleischer's ASHANTI... all of which underperformed at the box office though I appreciate his ability to act as a link between three of my favorite directors.

This film was Figueroa's big chance to direct from one of his stories (though unlike his other, most obscure film RED GOLD, his script was co-authored by Carlos Vasallo (a perennial figure in the Mexican-Spanish exploitation movement). Figueroa's skill as a director, however as is often the case when writers are let loose behind the camera, is unfortunately lacking. There's plenty of action and exploitation nonsense at large, but precious little of it manages to be exciting. Also, the costume and prop design fails to communicate that this film is supposed to take place in the 19th century until so late a point in the film where it becomes rather awkward.

What IS successful are the lush location filming in Southern Mexico subbing in for the Amazon. The acting by all is a little stiff but worth it to see Fabio Testi, Jorge Rivero, Andres Garcia, and Jorge Luke (all big names in their respective Latin markets) sharing the screen. The two female leads Agostina Belli and Florinda Bolkan are unfortunately lost in unsubstantial roles. All that's missing is an appearance by Hugo Stiglitz - but Figueroa was able to cast him in the aforementioned RED GOLD so all is forgiven.

Horror fans may recognize a good portion of Fabio Frizzi's music to be recycled later in Lucio Fulci's ZOMBI 2.

Exploitative jungle adventure - cruelty, rape, corruption and violence reign supreme but it's just not very good.

[barnabyrudge · 3/10 · 12 March 2009]

Alberto Vazquez-Figueroa is best remembered for writing a novel called "Ebano", which was filmed in 1979 as "Ashanti" with an all-star cast including Michael Caine, Peter Ustinov and Rex Harrison. Earlier in his career he also wrote the novel "Manaos" and went on to direct the film adaptation of it. In truth, it is a fairly terrible film and Figueroa - regardless of whatever his novel writing skills are like - is clearly no film-maker. There is at least the fascination of seeing a cast of exploitation movie regulars up to their eyeballs in blood, guts and filth in this deliberately over-the-top jungle adventure.

In the 19th century, evil plantation owner Sierra (Andres Garcia) returns to his rubber plantation deep in the Amazon. His first task upon arriving is to expel his unfaithful mistress Claudia (Agostina Belli) among the slaves, where she is subjected to repeated gang rape as part of Sierra's twisted plan to teach her a lesson for cheating on him. He also plans to castrate the slave - Howard (Jorge Rivero) - who seduced her. Another slave, the brooding and ever-watchful Arquimedes (Fabio Testi) overhears the terrible fate awaiting Howard and encourages him to launch an escape bid. Arquimedes, Howard, Claudia and a brave Indian guide named Ramiro (Jorge Luke) sneak off into the jungle and make a perilous trek through the Amazon toward the safety of Ecuador. Their trip is fraught with dangers - wild animals, hostile natives, pursuers, a shortage of food supplies, enemy encampments and so on. After various adventures, the intrepid escapees are forced to turn back and try another route, passing the notorious trade centre of Manaos - home to Sierra and all the other ruthless plantation owners - as they go. They intercept a luxurious paddleboat and attempt to steer it past Manaos and on to the ocean and freedom.

"Manaos" is clumsily structured, with virtually no character development. This is a shame, as there's a nucleus of an intriguing film lurking beneath the exploitation-movie exterior. The problem is that just when things threaten to get interesting, the film resorts to another throat slashing, gunfight or moment of machete wielding mayhem. Howard the slave could have been developed as a flawed hero, his illicit relationship with Claudia explained and explored more fully. Instead he's just a boring muscle-man with all the personality of a jungle tree trunk. Claudia could have been an enormously interesting character - what drives her after her brutal gang rape and abuse? How can she ever get back to being the woman she was before the ordeal? Instead she fades into a nothing of a character. The editing is extremely choppy and too much of the footage is shot in drab colour. Worst of all is the staggeringly awful theme tune - a cheesy disco number which has no relevance to the plot, period or setting of the film whatsoever and is painful on the senses. There IS an audience for a film like "Manaos" - fans of grubby '70s exploitation items will no doubt lap it up - but in all honesty it is a poor film and most viewers will come away from it wholly unimpressed.

Jungle Hell

[osloj · 7/10 · 14 October 2002]

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

*Plot and ending analyzed*

Manaos (1979), or Slaves from Prison Camp Manaos

This film from the late 1970's isn't as bad as it would seem, although it could have been better if they worked on the character development and the plot instead of concentrating on the sequences as nothing but battle related themes.

The story is about a rubber plantation in South America which is worked by foreigners, indians, and prisoners. They all have to contend with an evil plantation owner played with zeal by the great Dominican-born Mexican actor Andres Garcia (a popular Latin actor who is concentrating on soap operas now). He could have been a Latin Paul Newman, but films like this did not establish his dramaturgical expression and credibility. His arch nemesis in the film is played with silent self assuredness by Jorge Rivero (another leading man in Latin film).

The plot deals with some of the intelligent workers leading a rebellion against the vicious owner, and there are battles with armed guards and dangerous jungle crossings along the way.

This was made in the 70's so you have to bear with the corny music that doesn't really fit the period, which could have been 1898, or so; it's hard to tell because of the random infusion of clothes, guns, and unhistorical elements in the film.

Manaos wants to be a cheap version of 'Papillion', but mainly it is for action buffs or jungle exploitation film lovers.

Altogether you won't be bored by it, but neither will you be entirely impressed.

More recommended Jungle films:

The Bridge in the Jungle (1971)

Sorcerer (1977)

Treasure of the Amazon (1985)

Fitzcarraldo (1982)

Death in the Garden (1956)

Gritty jungle adventure with authentic South American locales

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 21 August 2016]

Here's a fun-to-watch Italian/Spanish jungle adventure yarn which follows some unexpected paths for the genre - and thankfully has none of the animal cruelty which spoiled and marred many others. While the film begins predictably, unlike other similar genre offerings where the focus is upon small-scale action and adventure, the jungle journey actually turns into a crusade as our heroes go around liberating other rubber tappers and taking revenge on their oppressors by murdering them in cold blood. This and the political aspects of the tale (the film also follows the machinations of the businessmen who run the camps and their fortunes) make MANAOS a more adult story than most of its ilk and a better movie.

Of course, it wouldn't be a jungle adventure film without the requisite gore, sex and nudity, although these exploitation staples are kept to a minimum rather than being dwelt upon. The film begins in pretty sleazy territory with a white woman being repeatedly raped by the slaves of the prison camp while meanwhile a man who tried to escape is tied down and has ants crawl into his stomach to devour him from the inside. Such antics are soon put behind us as the group of escapees (comprised of a bunch of famous Italian, Spanish, and Mexican actors, although English-speaking audiences are unlikely to have heard of them) make their way on a 100-mile trek through the jungle to Ecuador on foot!

Along the way, there are plenty of well-staged shoot-outs to keep the film moving merrily along, including a fantastic boat hijacking towards the end of the movie which is spectacularly done, with literally dozens of men engaging in a violent shoot-out to the death. Other incidents include a man being shot and his body quickly devoured by piranha, an impromptu abortion in the middle of the jungle, and a horrible castration method involving a board with a hole cut in it and lots of hungry piranha! The methods of revenge our heroes take on the bad guys are extreme but fitting, with evil guards being literally whipped to death and a businessman who enjoyed cutting the hands off children getting hanged from the nearest tree. Things culminate in a suspenseful floating wooden shack and waterfall finale in which the hero goes one-on-one with the chief bad guy.

The authentic Venezuelan locations are lush and pleasing on the eye, providing an always-interesting backdrop to the action occurring in the foreground. The music is understated yet effective and Alberto Vazquez Figueroa's direction is pacy and mature. Fabio Testi makes for a likable journeyman hero, but it's muscleman Jorge Rivero who steals the show as a hard-edge labourer. He doesn't actually do much but his presence is an imposing one. Agostina Belli is the woman who must survive all manner of unpleasantness but carries her dignity with her, and her final words of "what do I do now?" as she returns to civilisation make for an interesting concept. Jorge Luke's performance as the friendly native guide is also very good, while the villains of the film are suitably slimy. MANAOS is a watchable jungle epic which concentrates on moral values over in-your-face shock tactics, and thus is a more interesting and involving movie than something like Lenzi's grue fest CANNIBAL FEROX.

Rip Roaring jungle adventure.

[Cranstonman · 9/10 · 1 October 2002]

Sheer brutality and humiliation is the daily lot of the slaves on the rubber plantations in S America at the turn of the 20th century. This is a little cracker of a film, quite notorious, but it really is more to do with what you think you may have seen. Jorge Riveros character is just a little too flawed to be the hero, so its left to fabulous Fabio Testi to be the main man to cheer on. Florinda Bolken pops up as an evil rubber traders wife. Unearth and adore.