Os Bandeirantes (1960)

Director:

Marcel Camus

Writers:

Rubem Braga (dialogue)
Marcel Camus (writer)

Release Date:

9 February 1962 (Finland)

Genre:

Adventure

Plot Keywords:

Melodrama

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Raymond Loyer	...	Jean
Elga Andersen	...	Elga
Lourdes de Oliveira	...	Suzana
Léa Garcia	...	Herminia
Almiro do Esperito Santo	...	Baija-Flora
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Beija Flor
Edgard Freire
Afonso Marinho
John Reich	...	Curd

Also Known As:

Gold of the Amazon (USA) (TV title)
Les pionniers (France)
Rio negro (Italy)
The Pioneers (International: English title)

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

France | Italy | Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16

Company:

Titanus

Forgot the story, but have the best memories of the ambiance and music...

I saw this movie in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, when I was fourteen or fifteen years old. I knew some Portuguese and had seen "Orfeu Negro" the previous year, if I remember correctly. I have no recollection of the story-line, the main actors, but I will NEVER forget the image of the actress (was it Lourdes de Oliveira?) with the loose hair who danced barefoot to the song "Isto aqui nao esta bom".... I remember the sense of freedom and rhythm, sans-souci, against the background of the brand-new capital city of Brasilia, in what seemed (in my memory, i.e.) the middle of nowhere. The movie -- I don't remember whether as such it deserved a high rating -- left an indelible impression on me. Until this day I relish the samba, the bossa nova, and artists like Caetano Veloso, Maria Bethania, Gilberto Gil, and all others (too many to mention). "Os Bandeirantes", for what it's worth, fueled the interest.