Verdes Anos

I saw this movie three times while in Porto Alegre during winter vacation (July) from college in 1984. The first time it was just out of curiosity because it was a local film, and Brazilian films were not very good then. This was the beginning of the new freedom after the military stepped down from power and allowed freedom of speech, which meant mostly cursing and nudity. This movie has neither. No real violence either. The local gaucho accents make it very charming and true. The acting is very convincing.

The second time I was already hooked in the movie's excellent balance of drama and comedy - many times switching back and forth, surprising the audience with the contrast between the light adventures and concerns of the adolescents, with the dark side of the parents and teachers surviving the tough political reality of 1972 in a small town.

The third time I picked up some more details in this incredibly rich movie, and forever was impressed by its poetic tone.

I was 21 then, and I identified with the movie immediately! The soundtrack was particularly well picked - all foreign as it truly was in those times.

A very good friend presented me with a VHS bootlegged copy of this movie, and although the quality is poor, I still see it every now and then - and it still touches me in the same special way it did 20 years ago! I only wish they had put it to video!

"Verdes Anos" (The Green Years) takes place in a small provincial town in Rio Grande do Sul (the far south of Brazil) in the early 70s (namely around 1972). The military dictatorship is tightening its grip – political repression and economic growth (the political stability attracted many foreign investments). The old morals still rule the life in the town but the times are changing.

"Verdes Anos" talks about a group of teenagers on the road to adulthood that study in a school. It's completely different from the usual youth films. The characters in "Verdes Anos" have a face; they are not mannequins with plastic smiles and empty minds – they look like real people. We will follow the lives of these teenagers (their stories, joy, jokes,the search for love... pleasure, disappointments) for 3 days. There's no happy ending and easy solutions, as it happens in many conventional youth films. The film gives us also brief glimpses of the growing political repression in Brazil - some characters will suffer the consequences of their political involvement: hopelessness, flight….

"Verdes Anos" is funny, moving and sometimes a bit sad. It's a beautiful film. If you find it (yes, you can!), go for it.