O Pagador de Promessas

In my opinion this is one of the best Brazilian movie ever made and also the best movie about religion and its implications to a society in general.

It is a mix of religion, politic, culture, beliefs, prejudices, intolerance. It starts as a simple and innocence gesture from a poor man to pay homage to a Saint after his donkey gets miraculous healed, but instead it becomes a bizarre show of enormous proportions. The authority of the church, the misleading politicians, the media and the crowd use the cause for their own gain. It's a battle between the bureaucracy of norms and the innocence of simple causes. Amazing performances by the main cast.

This movie was awarded with Palme D'Or and the Oscar candidate for Brazil.

THIS IS A MUST SEE MOVIE, it worth every minute of it.

This great film, received the principal prize in Cannes and it is one of the best Brazilian films of all the times. A simple man, whose donkey was sick, gets its cure and he decides like this to pay a promise Saint Barbra, to who attributed the salvation of the animal.

Main representative of the brazilian "Cinema Novo" , the film is based on an exceptional play, and it is a realistic film, very well interpreted and driven, and it shows one on the most dramatic sides of the Brazilian people: the fidelity in paying a promise, cost what to cost!

It's really a shame that this masterpiece is constantly overlooked by All-Time Greatest Lists, even though it won the prestigious Palm d'Or at Cannes.

"The Bicycle Thieves" is frequently cited as the greatest entry into Social Cinema, yet unfortunately the public and the critics seem to forget the sheer beauty that "The Payer of Promises" is. While "Bicycle"'s influence is undeniable, "Payer" goes beyond that.

Honest, multi-layered and amazingly contemporary, this is one of those movies that have admirably stood the test of time - specially if one considers the difficulty it is making Films in Brazil.

Featuring incredibly believable and dramatic performances, a rich, vivid setting and neo-realist technique employed in an elegant and sincere manner, this movie should not be missed. I found impressive how well the film flows - nothing is there gratuitously and the pacing is pitch perfect.

The amazing strength, courage and valor of Brazilian Cinema is a force to be reckoned with, as we take a look at the works of Film Makers such as Peixoto, Duarte, Rocha, Candeias, Bressane, Khouri, Salles and most recently, Meirelles. To list a very short list.

In fact, I can say without fear that it is a better Film than The Bicycle Thieves. It is easily one of the Best Brazilian Films in History - if not one of the Best in Film History. Period.

O Pagador de Promessas / Keeper of Promises (1962) : Brief Review -

A powerful Brazilian film about a religious circus. The film centers on Zé, a man who is a strong believer in God. When his donkey falls ill, he promises to carry a cross to the Santa Bárbara church in exchange for the donkey's health. As the miracle occurs, the donkey is saved and becomes healthy in just one day. Zé carries a cross on his shoulder for seven leagues and reaches the church alongside his wife, who is reluctant about his beliefs and promises. Just for the sake of a bed, she spends a night with a local pimp, becoming disloyal to her kind-hearted husband. This is the film's biggest flaw, as we later see a crowd gathered outside the church learning about his wife's affair with the pimp, yet Zé does nothing about it. That was quite foolish. Anyway, the father of the church denies Zé's entry because he made his promise in a way that contradicts Catholic beliefs. Zé's simple promise becomes a topic of political, religious, and social hysteria, and he becomes a sensation in no time. While he could make money and become a hero, he denies fame and remains true to his promise. The system does everything to stop him, and the tragic ending shatters you from within. I liked the theme, the way events are explored, and the powerful climax. I just didn't appreciate the wife's character. She was so shameless that she asked her husband to take her home after spending a night with a pimp. One of the hookers humiliates her and her husband in front of a large crowd by calling him a "cuckold," and still, there are no reactions from him regarding her or her mistake. This conflict undermines the purity of the otherwise noble subject, making it appear highly contradictory. Thanks to the powerful message in the climax and the one-man show by Leonardo Villar, this film is a must-watch.

RATING - 7/10*

By - #samthebestest.

A shame such an important movie has no poster here on IMDb. I wanted to add the one that is used on Wikipedia, but I would have to pay to do that. Strange. (Edit: it has a poster now.)

If you are critical of religion fanaticism, you must see this movie! It shows what can become of fanatic people, how lack of education plays an important role in fanaticism, the arrogance of the church and the hypocrisy of our society.

Zé do Burro (Joe of the Donkey) has the soul of a child. He is a good guy, but extremely naive. His naivety is shamelessly exploited, and people cruelly distort his good intentions, making an evil person out of him, when all he wanted was to do good.

The movie won the Golden Palm in Cannes and other prizes. It's a classic. Dialogs are a bit theatrical (only if you understand Portuguese), but so they used to be that time. A movie that will get under your skin.