Directed by: Alberto Vázquez Figueroa
Stars: Fabio Testi, Agostina Belli, Jorge Rivero, Andrés García, Florinda Bolkan
Language: English
Country: Spain | Italy | Mexico | Imdb Info

Also known as: Slaves from Prison Camp Manaos

Description: The upbeat disco theme tune truly sets the stage for the grim turn-of-the-century slave plantation plot.

Set in Brazil, the story revolves around a tyrannical overseer who rules a rubber plantation with an iron fist, using slaves comprised of local tribesmen, captured wanderers, and people he simply despises. Among the enslaved are Fabio Testi, whose wife was murdered by the overseer and whose child died on the death march to the plantation, and Howard, who had an affair with the plantation owner’s wife, played by Agostina Belli. Agostina, the newest member of the staff, is thrown into a hut and assaulted by the slaves.

The narrative follows these three characters, along with a Spanish actor portraying a tribesman, as they escape the plantation and journey through the jungle to Ecuador, only to change their minds and return. This section of the film resembles “Spartacus: Rubber Plantation Edition,” as the protagonists gather more freed slaves to rebel against their oppressors. Despite the grim beginning, where Agostina Belli’s character is subjected to brutal treatment, the rest of the film shifts to straightforward action. Remarkably, no animals are harmed, evident from the appearance of a very fake-looking spider.

The film features numerous shootouts and jungle treks as the heroes turn the tables on the slave masters. Additionally, there’s a bizarre subplot involving the theft of rubber plant seeds intended to destroy the industry, although most of this happens off-screen. Florinda Bolkan appears as the rich wife of one of the antagonists, delivering a poignant speech about the horrors of slavery.