Os Cafajestes (1962)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Ruy Guerra

Writers:

Ruy Guerra (writer)
Miguel Torres (writer)

Release Date:

24 March 1962 (Brazil)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

This film captures the criminal behavior of two young Copacabana thugs (the "cafajestes"). The two plan a blackmail coup against a rich old man...

Plot Keywords:

Beach | Convertible | Rio De Janeiro Brazil | 1960s

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Per Aabel
Norma Bengell	...	Leda
Hugo Carvana
Lucy de Carvalho	...	Vilma
Germana de Lamare
Marina Ferraz
Daniel Filho	...	Vavá
Glauce Rocha
Aline Silva
Fátima Somer
Jece Valadão	...	Jandir

Also Known As:

The Unscrupulous Ones

Runtime:

100 min | Finland:91 min

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1963)

Filming Locations:

Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Cabo Frio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Company:

Magnus Filmes

Movie Connections:

Featured in Mulheres de Cinema (1978)

The First Frontal Nude Scene in the Brazilian Cinema, In a Nouvelle-Vague Film

Jandir (Jece Valadão) and Vavá (Daniel Filho) are two scums and small time crooks from Copacabana, who want to raise some easy money shooting compromising pictures of Leda (Norma Bengell) and blackmailing her rich uncle. Leda convinces them to use her cousin Vilma (Lucy de Carvalho), the daughter of the victim. "Os Cafajestes" is one of the most important Brazilian films ever. This was the first movie made in Brazil by director Rui Guerra, from Mozambique, in the beginning of the Brazilian movement "Cinema Novo" (New Cinema), raised against the Brazilian "pornochanchada" (very silly comedies with great popular appeal). "Os Cafajestes" is totally influenced by the Nouvelle-Vague and is very daring, presenting the first frontal nude scene in the Brazilian cinema, with Norma Bengell naked for about four minutes. The story is very amoral, and the film was completely mutilated by the producer, due to the censorship of the government and the Catholic Church. Therefore, there are gaps along the story, and consequently the characters are not well developed. Further, I regret that this important film has not had a decent distribution. My VHS, horribly recorded in LP, was released by "Isto É", and the image does not stop scrolling and the sound in some parts makes almost impossible to understand what the actors and actresses are speaking. There are only thirty-seven votes in IMDb, meaning that there is no worldwide distribution of this movie. I feel sorry for the overseas movie lovers, not having the chance to know such a film. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Os Cafajestes" ("The Scums")