A Sombra dos Abutres

A SOMBRA DOS ABUTRES was the first film Leonel Vieira directed (he also wrote the screenplay), and it was nothing bad for a debut I must say! It was the beginning of a promising (and we can say successful yet!) directing career.

The plot is set in Northeast Portugal in a region near the border called Trás-os-Montes in 1961 when Portugal was ruled by a dictatorship and controlled by P.I.D.E. (a police of the regime who oppressed those who were against it). The characters are mainly two, DANIEL (Vitor Norte) and ZÉ (Diogo Infante), simple and rural men. ZÉ was once arrested by P.I.D.E but he was released. But while he was working in the mines the police start searching him again to arrest him one more time. He escapes to his home and together with ZÉ both kill two P.I.D.E. agents. An attempt to run away to Spain begins...

It's a nice movie essentially because of the symbolism it has and for the description of a troubled era in our country. The title is very suggestive because it's a reference to the suffocating oppression that police did to all of those who fought or just were politically against the regime. I remember especially one quote of the movie that resumes this unequal "battle" very well; it's when the inspector sarcastically says: "I know these rural men are strong as stones... but what can a little stone do against the waters of a river?"... It's a sarcastic but true description of this "cat and mouse fight"...

Technically the movie is not perfect but the acting is quite good. I just didn't like Diogo Infante trying to imitate the Northeast accent (Just because he didn't it well. So I think he should have spoken normally as did Vitor Norte!). I liked the ending. I think it was a cruel but realistic ending. It made me score this movie with an extra point.

It's a nice film and a "document" of our recent History; and a great debut for Leonel Vieira as well. I score it 7/10.

Leonel Vieira's film start is this "A Sombra dos Abutres", which is a good way to test a first-time director's talent to handle bigger stuff. The movie has the north of Portugal during the time of the dictatorship as its backdrop, and shows us the story of two simple men, who have to become more that they could ever be when they see themselves pursued by the regime. The film is a way to tell a simple story, and is also a way to show that in the most simple ways we can find true greatness. I can say that I got out of the theatre satisfied, even though it is a very fogettable cinema experience, to the people accostumed to bigger systems who could produce this story with a much wider range of action and characters. To us, simple portuguese, this shows that not all the movies made here need to be artistic: when someone wants to tell a story in a simple way, you got it. Leonel Vieira shows here that he has much more potential to be exploited - and the T.V. series "Ballet Rose" proves it.