A surreal allegorical tale tracking a shape-shifting protagonist through love, loss, and a quest for a magical artifact to reflect Brazilian societal turmoil.
Born a fully grown black man in a village in the Brazilian jungle, Macunaíma later magically transforms into a white man before making an adventure-filled trip to the city of São Paulo. Once there, he becomes something of a dandy, falling in love with Ci, a revolutionary who dies in an accidental bombing. After robbing a ruthless industrialist, Macunaima returns to his village where he finds his newly acquired knowledge and possessions of little use.
Joaquim Pedro de Andrade
Rating: 6.9/10 (89 votes)