Edson is having an affair with a left-wing aspiring movie director during Brazil's military dictatorship years. He tries to get some easy money for her film, but ends up being arrested and tortured as his torturers suspect he's involved in a plot to overthrow the military government.

在弹丸大小的丛林之中，一老妪奇迹般地产下男孩Macunaima。出生既已成人的Macunaima为了实现生命的意义，带领着家人朋友们踏上了去往大都市的旅程。一路上，光怪陆离之事接二连三地发生，但Macunaima仍保持着一颗纯真的童心。到达了城市之后，他阴差阳错地被恐怖分子拉去闹革命，并经历了种种荒诞滑稽的事件，也从中对生活有了更深的理解……。这部由同名小说改编的电影为新浪潮运动注入了新的审美理念，影片融合了流行喜剧元素与通俗“热带主义”，在60年代末期的电影中具有标志性的意义。