Black God, White Devil (1964)

After killing his employer when said employer tries to cheat him out of his payment, a man becomes an outlaw and starts following a self-proclaimed saint.

Director:

Glauber Rocha

Writer:

Glauber Rocha

Stars:

Geraldo Del Rey, Yoná Magalhães, Othon Bastos

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Geraldo Del Rey	...	Manuel
Yoná Magalhães	...	Rosa
Othon Bastos	...	Corisco
Maurício do Valle	...	Antônio das Mortes
Lidio Silva	...	Sebastião
Sonia Dos Humildes	...	Dadá
João Gama	...	Priest
Antônio Pinto	...	Colonel
Milton Rosa	...	Moraes (as Milton Roda)
Roque Santos	...	(as Roque)

Storyline

Fictionalized account of the adventures of hired gunman Antonio das Mortes, set against the real life last days of rural banditism. The movie follows Antonio as he witnesses the descent of common rural worker Manuel into a life of crime, joining the gang of Antonio's sworn enemy, Corisco the Blond Devil (Othon Bastos), and the Pedra Bonita Massacre.

---

Plot Keywords:

male objectification | bare chested male | gunman | gunshot | criminal | 

---

Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Western

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the shooting of the scene in which Corisco (Othon Bastos) and Rosa (Yoná Magalhães) kiss passionately, Yoná Magalhães' husband was sitting off-camera, right beside the two actors. During the interview taped for the DVD release, Bastos confessed he was really nervous about it, and wanted to ask the man to leave - but didn't have the nerve to do it.

---

Quotes

Corisco: Here's my rifle to save the poor from starving.

---

Connections

Featured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: New Directors, New Form (2011)

---

Soundtracks

A Mãe
Written by Glauber Rocha & Sérgio Ricardo

User Reviews

Stunning, brutish and unforgettable

I loved the first two-thirds of this jaw-dropping epic. For my second viewing, this time with a friend, we both agreed that it fell to pieces after that point, becoming incoherent and unfathomable, whilst still being stylish and remaining 'strange'.

The visual sense was part 'Aguirre, Wrath of God' and Sergio Leone's 'Once Upon a Time in the West'. But, in grainy, high contrast black & white. Camera movements are urgent rather than flowing with the odd editing flourish to enliven the action. We both found this approach initially utterly mesmerising.

This film is of hardcore fanaticism, with religious bigotry and the sheer survival in the harsh scrub desert-lands of northern Brazil. Some scenes are reminiscent of Russian cinematic masterpieces by Eisentstein, as in Ivan the Terrible. I think some scenes will offend and appal many viewers whilst still retaining mystery and that 'Wow, this is something totally different and exciting'. The sort of film that has the critics swooning but with the actual film-lover rather less than overawed.

I'd rather not go into all the narrative in and outs, mostly because it is the overall effect and impression that it has left on me. Unforgettable, true; daring and significant, undoubtedly. But that doesn't make it a film any easier to watch, though. I would give the first two thirds 9/10 and the remainder five.

Details

Official Sites:

Mr Bongo Films

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Release Date:

10 July 1964 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun

Filming Locations:

Canudos, Bahia, Brazil

Company Credits

Production Co:

Banco Nacional de Minas Gerais, Copacabana Filmes, Luiz Augusto Mendes Produções Cinematográficas

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1