I found this Brazilian / Portugese film in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it certainly had an interesting sounding title, so I was looking forward to seeing what it would be about, directed by Glauber Rocha (Entranced Earth). Basically set in the 1940s during another drought in the sertão (outback), common rural worker and ranch hand Manuel (Geraldo Del Rey) is dissatisfied with his current situation. He kills his boss when he tries to cheat him of his earnings, and he flees, leaving his wife Rosa (Yoná Magalhães), becoming an outlaw and descending further into a life of crime. Manuel joins up with self-proclaimed saint, in fact bandit and hired gunman Antônio das Mortes (Maurício do Valle), he condones violence, even at one point slaughtering a baby, and preaches disturbing statements of his plans or beliefs. Rosa also turns to a life of crime, and Manuel joins the gang of Antônio's sworn enemy, Corisco the Blond Devil (Othon Bastos), and the Pedra Bonita Massacre. Also starring Lidio Silva as Sebastiãn, Sonia Dos Humildes as Dadá, João Gama as Priest and Antônio Pinto as Colonel. This film blends together mysticism, religion and popular culture to create a symbolic and realistic drama, and one of the characters goes by the logic that man must determine his path by his own voice, I just remember this black and white film having quite a few dark moments and many longs takes and montages, it makes for an interesting crime drama. Good!
Review of Black God, White Devil
