Die Mätresse

"Xica da Silva" is the story of a true-life 18th century slave who uses her sexual wiles and cunning mind to become the richest and most powerful woman of her time in a diamond-mining town of Brazil. Xica's successful position is unheard of for a woman, much less a slave and she becomes a legend, especially among the slaves.

When Xica sees João Fernandes (actor Walter Chagmor), the rich, influential and handsome emissary of the King of Portugal. She sets her sights on meeting the most potent man in the town. The man becomes enamored with her and she with him.

To the townspeople's dismay, João sets Xica free, and then showers her with opulent gifts. He builds Xica a mansion complete with its own chapel because slaves, free or not, are forbidden from entering the town church; João orders luxurious items from Paris, Portugal and other fashionable places for Xica; he commissions a picture of the sea to be painted because she has always wanted to look at the sea; João even brings the ocean to Xica when he has a manmade lake constructed and a ship built for Xica's sole purpose.

The actress who plays Xica (Zezé Motta) is superb! Motta's acting allows the viewer to see and understand how the slave is able to captivate any man. When Xica gets that special tingle, no man can resist her! She is colorful, vivacious and very dramatic -- a true diva!

On a note of interest, the storyline has also been made into a 1996 Brazilian telenovela (soap opera), which has become popular in many other countries. Zezé Motta plays two roles in the telenovela -- that of Xica's mother and then an older Xica.

You'll also enjoy the catchy theme song and sing it to yourself long after the movie is over.

Directed by Carlos Diegues, a veteran filmmaker who is also responsible for other entertaining movies, "Xica da Silva" is witty and vibrant.

What an amusing and captivating way to tell the story of one slave's rise to fame, fortune and power and her fight to retain that prestige.

I had a proper care to certify the real life of the legendary Xica da Silva before I've submitted my review about the fictional offering concerning the former slave Xica, sadly to known that such story took the big screen is pure fantasy and utterly inaccurate focusing those popular imaginary orally told thru many generations each one by appending a bit more and more.

On movie Xica is portraits a pure African roots, otherwise his father actually was a white man, thus she was mullato, also previously when Xica was a teenager girl she had a romance involvement with a doctor whom had a son, just when she finally meets the nobleman from Portuguese crown João Fernandes assigned by crown to rent diamond plowings at Tijuco village due the King's minister distrusted that taxes weren't collected suitably, thus João Fernandes arrives there with full powers to fix this neuralgic matter.

Worst in fact she had fourteen sons, thirteen with João Fernandes, upon this real facts the movie falls apart, depicting her as bad sexual behavior or a hot girl, the best thing that the picture can offer is a funny sketch of an old era at 18th century at countryside, well-draft screenplay over a phony story, many colorful character coming along like as Stepan Nercessian and Rodolfo Arena with sharp lines, as fictional is plenty acceptable, unforgettable utterly inaccurate.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1990 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 7.5.

I found the movie somewhat entertaining, but at the same time there was nothing extraordinary about it. It seemed almost like a blaxploitation flick at times, with the arrogant white characters slamming her with the "n" word left and right and Xica rebelling against them in deviant ways. There are some funny moments, but as the film went on I felt more and more unpleasant. First of all, the Xica character, who appears naked through most of the film, is not an attractive woman and in some ways resembles a man with her short hair and nearly flat chest. And I definitely wouldn't be seduced by her in the ways the male characters in the movie were. Of course, there were certain moments that were tasteless to the highest power. In one scene, Xica takes the lamb that someone is about to eat and smothers it with hot pepper, a rotten egg and spits in it. At that point, I was about to run to the restroom and puke. And there were other moments that also left me with an unpleasant feeling. Altogether, I found the film watchable and the theme song is catchy, as I still can't get it out of my head. But it's by no means a great film.

My score: 6 (out of 10)