Brazilian cult horror centered on the character of Zé do Caixão, a man who repudiates morality, religion, I believe in man's instinct in the search for superiority and immortality that comes from blood and therefore the inheritance passed down to a son .
Marins, the director, is a great exponent of Brazilian horror and in fact in the film there are sequences, scenes that are truly noteworthy.
First of all, the beginning has a frenetic montage that symbolizes the twisted mind of Zé do Caixão, his visions, the hands, the corpses that rise from the earth, everything is very tight in terms of editing and this immediately denotes a certain vision of the director.
Zé do Caixão will look for women in order to obtain a son, the test that will subject women to the horror of spiders crossing female bodies is excellent, if desired it anticipates the sequence in Fulci's Afterlife.
The sequence of the snakes is also beautiful and impactful, Zé do Caixão has chosen the woman with whom to give birth to a child and the others, while they watch the villain with the chosen woman, are grappling with snakes, here Marins also plays with subjective and the casting of the curse on one of the women is impact.
Zé do Caixão tries to be rational but has nightmares because of the curse that would not allow him to have a child, the nightmare sequence is excellent and atmospheric. The film turns to colour, this Dantesque hell is shown with Mario Bava-style lights amidst smoke, inverted crosses, torture; just as impactful is the scene of the women, previously killed with snakes and thrown into the swamp, emerging from the waters to claim revenge.
Marins also opts for a classic quotation, Zé do Caixão which in the third act transports between his arms Laura, the woman who actually manages to get pregnant, recalls the famous scene of The Lagoon Monster, just as the crowd enraged against the villain recalls Frankenstein.
As already mentioned Marins also resorts to the grotesque, not only in the infernal vision but also in the choices of some music such as Alleluia when Laura declares she is pregnant.
The acting is also very theatrical, Marins who plays the protagonist Zé do Caixão shows off different facial expressions, therefore a high-sounding voice a search for theatricality.
The film manages to disguise its low-budget nature, the direction does not open up, it does not try to show large scenarios and here the use of black and white also helps. Even the same search for the grotesque plays its part in this aspect.
In writing, Zé do Caixão's plans and actions are based on the fact that the previously chosen woman, the one who "passes" the test of the spiders, will be faithful to him, here perhaps more reasons as to why this woman loves the villain could have been sought but in any case the writing works well when in the end the woman will hesitate given all the misdeeds of her beloved.
The woman's protection also serves as an expedient to prevent Zé do Caixão from being attacked and legally prosecuted by the village and the authorities since they will have no proof and instead there is the woman's testimony.
The management of the ending is very beautiful and atmospheric, the escape of Zé do Caixão towards the swamp, his denial of morality and religion, both heaven and hell, to the end but with a mind now gripped by his nightmares, here the images of the woman of the curse with the snake appearing to the protagonist are suggestive , the direction also opts for shots from below upwards which make the villain who believes himself invincible stand out in search of immortality, the emergence of the skeletons of his female victims from the marshy waters will be the turning point, the scene is excellent and here Zé do Caixão will lose his certainties trying with one last gesture to save his soul.

A horror that deserves to be discovered for those who don't know it, a cult for others, a low-budget film that with gimmicks and ideas manages not only to disguise this but also to create visual moments with their impact.