Behind The Sun
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Movie Reviews of Behind The Sun
Movie Review: Love and Hatred in Brazil's Sertao...
Summary: 5 Stars
Walter Salles will probably best be known to American audiences for his recent film, "The Motorcycle Diaries", yet "Behind The Sun" is a must see for anyone willing to learn about "The Other Brazil."
Behind The Sun is set in Brazil's arid, drought-stricken region , known as the Sertao (located in the northeast). A region where thousands have died because of its notoriously harsh conditions, the Sertao is the antithesis of the stereotypical image of the country: a lushly green paradise whose expansive rainforest seemingly never ends. Perhaps the Sertao, with its almost hateful environment, presents the perfect backdrop for a blood-drenched feud between two hateful families.
When Tonio's older brother is murdered by the rival Fereiras, his father calls upon him to fuffill his obligations and defend the honor of the family; that is, murder his brother's murderer. And this Tonio does, but in doing so, he only contributes to a never-ending cycle of violence, "where the dead command the living". For by becoming a murderer, Tonio himself has sealed his own fate; now he is a (literally) marked man.
The only thing that can interrupt this cycle is a female circus performer, who enchants both Tonio and his younger brother (the narrator of this film), and who provides Tonio with an escape from both the violence and the rythyms of the cane harvest.
Behind The Sun is a well-acted, well-directed film about revenge and redemption. For these merits alone it would be worth purchasing. As other viewers have noted, however, the real gem of this film is the cinematography, which is some of the most beautiful I have seen. For those who have difficulty visualizing the Sertao, think of Arizona or the Badlands, and you will have something close.
Behind the Sun is a moving film, and it clearly demonstrates that Brazilian cinema is at its peak now.
-James
Movie Review: Words cannot do this film justice!
Summary: 5 Stars
Set in Brazil in 1910, Behind the sun is the tale of two families who are caught up in a deadly feud over land, which each family says they own. It is a mythical tale of the eldest son fighting until his death, so that the family can retain possession of disputed territory, with the eldest brother forced to play the part of murdering his brother's murderer, time after time. Set in the remotest part of Brazil, Tonio (played by Rodrigo Santoro) is forced to carry out a bloody ritual, killing the son of a neighbor for land in a feud which claimed the lives of many young men. After Tonio does the job required by his family, he seeks a truce with the opposing family, wanting to end this pointless tradition, one which is causing only pain and acrimony among the families. The other family does not wish to put an end to this tradition, and gives Tonio a certain amount of time before his own life is on the line once more. After this, Tonio falls in love with a girl from a traveling circus, and must make a decision of whether to continue his family's bloody tradition, or follow his heart and find the redemptive power of love. I cannot say too much else for fear of giving away some of the story and plot lines, but it is a wonderfully crafted movie and story.
The metaphors in this film are many and are stark, and get the point across very simply, but also very effectively. From the oxen turning going in circles churning out the sugarcane, to the path taken by Tonio throughout the movie (and different at the end), Walter Salles gets his point across very well, and on a dramatic scale as well, as the scenery is breathtaking beyond measure. It is quite simply, an amazing movie.
Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Nicely done.
Summary: 5 Stars
To be honest, I only rented the film so that I could swoon over handsome Rodrigo Santoro after watching his brief, but memorable role in the romantic comedy "Love Actually". Little did I know how good this film was. I didn't mind the subtitles because they were clear and non-complex. I loved hearing the language. I don't know; there's something mysteriously alluring about Portuguese; it has this smooth, almost rhythmic flavor about it. I was thoroughly entertained by the little boy they called "kid" aka "Puca" (played by Ravi Ramos Lacerda); he's basically a kid wanting to drown in the world of his fantasies but has to uphold these responsibilities of labor jus like the rest of his family. I found him to be sweet, assertive, and pure comedy. All the roles were praisingly convincing and held my attention the whole way through. I couldn't get over how young Rodrigo looked even though the movie was taped but only two years ago. hehe...young, but oh so adorable :o). He doesn't say much, but...sometimes, words just aren't necessary. Neways, I think the film's great. Not one metaphor or streak of symbolism seemed out of place; not one character seemed a bit too exaggerated or too thin in personality. I really liked this film. Honestly? I really did. =) hehe it has my vote.
Movie Review: A time and a place and a cruel and barbaric code of honor
Summary: 5 Stars
This 2001 Brazilian film is one of the saddest I've ever seen. It's set in 1910 in the cane fields of Brazil. There are two families who live on adjourning land who are part of a blood feud that has gone back so far in time that nobody remembers the details.The story unfolds through the point of view of a 10-year old boy. He is the youngest of three sons. His oldest brother has been killed a month before and his bloodstained shirt is drying in the sun. Now that the blood has turned yellow, it is time to revenge his death. This task falls to his beloved 20-year old brother Tonio, who, after a heartbreaking chase, murders a son of the rival family.
Now, we all know that Tonio will be murdered just as his rival was murdered. And we know he, too, has a month to live while the bloody shirt of his opponent dries in the sun. A lot happens though during this month though. A traveling circus passes by and Tonio falls in love with a young fire-eating performer and wants to stop the cycle of violence.
The film was beautiful inasmuch as it captured a time and a place and a code of honor that seems cruel and barbaric. It also captured the human spirit of the people involved in this tragedy.
Movie Review: A darkly brooding vision of the timelessness of vengeance
Summary: 5 Stars
The story in this film is simple: blood for blood feuding between two families in the backlands of Brazil. If left at that, this would be a conceptually boring movie, one done hundreds of times in various locations for varying Hollywood budgets. The glory of BEHIND THE SUN is in the presentation and transformation of a familiar precis into a visually stunning prolonged motion painting. Director Salles has assembled a cast of beautiful actors, minimized the Portuguese dialog so that the visuals may convey the text almost solo, and has added appropriations from other art forms to make this a memorable film. The only characters outside the feuding families are a traveling troupe of 'clowns' or a circus consisting of an older man and his senusously beautiful stepdaughter. This nod to the "I PAGLIACCI" opera invests intrigue and introduces the concept of the redeeming force of love into this otherwise blighted life story of a young man doomed to die for family honor. The photography is elegant, the acting is superb, the musical scoring is sensitively appropriate without drawing attention to itself. This is a very beautiful, very fine film.