As tres Marias

As tres Marias is a fairly unusual western. Not only is it set in dusty Pernambuco, the Brazilian outback in the northeast of the country, the heroic roles are also reserved for women. In the impressive landscape, captured in super?widescreen shots, snakes and rabid animals roam around the cactuses. Other significant ingredients are the biblical symbolism and dramatic elements from Greek tragedies.In a fierce vendetta rooted in a rejected love, the men of the Capadocio family are murdered in a gruesome way. Filomena loses her husband and three sons, but she refuses to shed a single tear before she has avenged the murders. It is not proper for a woman to resort to violence, but she can do so through an intermediary. The three daughters of Filomena each go looking for a hitman. Maria Francisca, the eldest, manages to hire Zé das Cobras, a snake charmer (and eater) who has not talked to women since his mother died. Maria Rosa approaches Capitán Tenoro, a heroic cop who hunts mad dogs. Maria Pia, the youngest and the toughest, makes a deal with the dangerous assassin called 'The Devil's Horse'; she helps him to escape from jail in exchange for his services. The revenge seems to be successful, but Fate has very different plans.