Search me .

On the metaphor: I'm not sure it is that clear, or at least, not coherent. I'm unaware of any negative impact that English (or German) speaking nations have particularly had on Brazil, past or present, other than demand for timber. Brazils problems are made at home with their willingness to elect either the corrupt (Lula/Rousseff) or the idiotic (Bolsanaro), or both. If Tony Jnr had been behind the murders and they all spoke Portuguese it would have been more coherent as a metaphor.

It wasn't even like the villagers showed much connection to indigenous populations, so it couldn't be perceived clearly as an anti-colonial tale either. Remembering that the villagers will be related to the invaders of the land in which they lived.

Many of the questions you raise are unanswerable based on the available information and I felt it was intentionally being needlessly obtuse. A shame because there were a lot of positives, but frankly, if I know nothing about the lives and motivations of the key players and factions then why the hell should I be expected to care about the story and, by connection, the entire film? A missed opportunity.

6/10

@silverhawkins said:

Couldn't really figure out what's going on here in literal terms. The violent white invader to poor land element is clear enough, money versus life and the ideas of resistance, solidarity, opposition etc. But what's actually happening? Why are the town being erased? Why are some random 'Westerners' with their advanced technologies responding to a mystery voice in their headpieces and getting their rocks off killing a ton of innocent people? I see the symbolism, but how's it justified in terms of plot? And what's the deal with everyone tripping balls all the time? Escaping grief and suffering through psychotropics?

I think it's just what you said about the foreigners getting pleasure of killing and they were participating in some sort of game, vying for points per kill. They were communicating with each other but you're right, the bit where they kill the two Brazilian scouts...I'm not sure who they were communicating with. But they were fighting over who got the kill. And it seemed like one the westerners thought he was killing criminals, going by his outrage at the boy being killed.

Clearly the mayor organised it for the group, probably scouted the village as a target for wealthy foreigners. I just think it was a case of the rich foreigner being able to do what the hell they want.

As for the pill, you are probably right with it being a way to cope with grief. But probably more than that, maybe to desensitise them from death (most took them it before the final battle).