Strange, obscure Brazillian film that takes place in a picturesque fishing village, where the men spend their days at sea while their women wait for them on shore. A "Boto," or merman-like creature visits the lonely women, and takes them as lovers before disappearing into the sea. One woman in particular becomes known as the "Boto's woman" and he returns after some years to reunite with her. "O boto" is special in that it is a truly erotic film, without being at all explicit. The tale is based on Brazillian folklore and is certainly unique, and enchanting besides. One drawback of this fine film is that many scenes are filmed at night, by moonlight, and they are so dimly lit that it isn't always easy to see what is going on. This is a shame because the cast is primarily beautiful, in particular the young Brazillian actor Paolo Vinicious, from 'Emerald Forest." Vinicious has an important role as Luciano, the bastard son of the Boto. The merman creature himself doesn't seem to have human emotions, even as he can take human form at will. Boto has no qualms about seducing the love of his son's life, the beautiful Corinna, who goes insane after her coupling with the merman. Boto's son has the same sensuous and brooding energy as his father, and witnessing their final confrontation is a centerpiece of the film. "O Boto" possesses a feeling of sadness and mystery. It is a slow and quiet film, a dreamlike and always fascinating work from Brazil. Unfortunately there is only an old VHS print available for English speaking audiences, but this is better than nothing. recommended for fans of strange and off beat cinema.
