在这部妖姬莎塔剧情/同性/音乐/传记片中,影片是根据真人真事改编，描写巴西备受争议的扮装皇后莎塔崛起前的传奇故事，展现了20世纪30年代里约热内卢红灯区底层人们的生存状态。
莎塔在龙蛇杂处的拉帕区，生长于贫穷和混乱之中，毒品，犯罪，卖淫...生活不一而足。他备受侮辱，然而内心存在自己的梦想，那就是歌唱。他与一个黑人，一个白人妇女及她的小女孩生活在一起，他们相互扶助。他遇见如印度王子般俊美的雷那托，两人展开剧烈的爱情。后来雷那托死去。莎塔在酒吧演出越来越成功，他最终成为亮眼的变装舞台天后。
本片音乐极其魅惑好听。
这是巴西/法国2002年同志片，芝加哥电影节最佳影片，戛纳、日舞、多伦多等国际电影节参赛作品，台湾金马国际影展作品。
A story inspired by the life of one of the most remarkable figures in Brazilian popular culture, João Francisco dos Santos (1900-1976). In turn, bandit, transvestite, street fighter, brothel cook, convict and father to seven adopted children, dos Santos--better known as Madame Satã--was also a notorious gay performer who pushed social boundaries in a volatile time. The story begins in 1932, in Rio de Janeiro's bohemian Lapa district, when João Francisco is about to achieve his dream: becoming a stage star. In the sordid yet lively world of Lapa--populated by pimps, prostitutes and other denizens of Rio's underworld--João battles the streets and presides over a surrogate family that includes the charming prostitute Laurita, and her baby daughter whom everyone dotes on; the flamboyant hustler Taboo; João's teenage lover, Renatinho; and Amador, the owner of the Blue Danube club which is their second home. It is at the Blue Danube that street tough João begins to sing, and the mythic drag artiste Madam Satã is born.
