# 300

For a film with a good use of music, interesting characters, adept camerawork and vibrant action scenes this was remarkably dull, probably due to the fact that those things were merely the punctuation marks on the slow religious allegory.

Completely random and unmotivated nonsense of a film. I'm all for using symbolism in cinema but Rocha takes it way too far, leaving you incapable of understanding and unable to connect to any characters that would make you give two shits about anything that is going on in this film. Just because this work is "important" to the Cinema Novo movement in Brazil, doesn't mean it's successful in sending any message to its audience that will strike them as relevant to their lives. Very frustrating film

342

A very difficult film to watch, the uneven pacing with endlessly slow scenes are torturous and then quick cuts make it hard to follow the narrative. All topped off with a screeching sound track and bleak cinematography. There is a lot of historical, political and religious sub text going on. A film to dissect and discuss -not enjoy!

#308

An abysmally acted, shot and edited film, which succeeded in relating a slight exoticism but no clear notion of its politico-theological aims. Mostly, nothing happens. Then some people are killed. Then nothing happens for ages again, and so on.

This is probably what would happen if you made Andrej Tarkovsky write a script that would then be handed to the directorial care of Peter Jackson.

Poetic, bloody, a product of passion, anger and politically important, Glauber Rocha's iconic film still remains as one of the most powerful and enigmatic meditations on brazilian society.

Too many boring monologues and moments were someone is standing still or walking slowly for 20 minutes. Too slow.

323

Monumental film that makes excellent use of soundtrack and scenic tableaux to produce a moody and striking journey. More about religion than banditry I think.

Kinda boring, really couldn't get into it much. The stark contrast in the photography works well to evoke a certain desolate mood, and Rocha does some interesting things with the soundtrack (including the narration in song). But the characters are too nutty and high-concept, and the film's religious/political messages are way too blunt. Impressive for 1964 Brazil perhaps, but I sure didn't get much out of it.

An engrossing mix of Eisenstein and a Western; it's very epic, dramatic and spiritual, and yet very dry, all at once. Stunning work.