Os Fuzis

A major film by Mozambican director Ruy Guerra and from Cinema Novo movement. With a remarkable cinematography and amazing sound, it portrays the harsh sun and the religiousness in Northeastern hinterlands. Besides unknown common people who represent collectively the very poor local population, the main cast brings many very nice actors, then young but who eventually would have longstanding successful careers. Religiousness appear throughout the film, as it is a trait of that traditional population. The preacher was a character that was recurrent in local history (Antônio Conselheiro being the most famous and influential) and the ox followed in the procession may be seen as an allegory of the constraints that foster acquiescence and deter the struggle for rights. The movie may be summarized into two elements: soldiers are sent not to feed starving people but to protect private property (a food storage) of the rich; the state and its agents see those hungry plagued human beings as objects, which may be purchased, used, thrown away or even definitely broken.

In 1963, in the village of Milagres in a very poor area of Brazil, a group of soldiers arrive to protect the store of a politician from a group of starving people. They have rifles for guarding the food and avoid the sacking by the population. One of the soldiers, completely drunken, kills a local in a dispute with his colleagues for killing a goat. The truck driver Gaúcho (Átila Iório) revolts against the passivity of a father that has just lost his little daughter, who died of starvation, and the pacific population that only prays and follows a preacher, and fights against the soldiers.

"Os Fuzis" is a Brazilian classic movie of a movement called "Cinema Novo" (which means New Cinema). "A camera in the hand and an idea in the head" was the slogan of the Brazilian filmmakers in the 60's, and they intended to make low budget movies with social concerns and rooted in the Brazilian culture. "Vidas Secas" (1963), of Nelson Pereira dos Santos, was the first film of this movement. "Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol", of Glauber Rocha, and "Os Fuzis", de Rui Guerra, also belong to the first phase of this movement, and explored the rural theme, approaching basic problems of the Brazilian society, such as the poverty and bad human conditions of the peasants of the Northeast of Brazil. In 1964, with the military coup d'êtat, the "Cinema Novo" directed the story lines to the urban society. It is amazing to see that in 2005, Brazil still has the same problems in the country as showed in this movie, in greater or lesser scale, such as poor, starving, illiterate and religious people; arid lands due to the dry climate and without irrigation; abuse against these person by the police or military forces; collectivism to protect these bad authorities; corrupt politicians and inoperative and demagogic government. This film was awarded with the "Silver Bear" in Berlin Festival. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Os Fuzis" ("The Rifles")

I saw this film in India some 15 years ago and its images remain with me. I do not know Portuguese. I saw this Portuguese language film without English subtitles, yet the power of the visuals and the soundtrack was overwhelming. That in my opinion is the best testimony of good cinema.

There is an Indian film in Telugu made by director Mrinal Sen called "Ooka Oorie Katha," which had a similar impact on me. I found much of Sen's visuals very close to Guerra's film.

I have not had the opportunity to see any other film of Guerra to date. Yet on the basis of this film alone I would rate him and Nelson Pereira dos Santos as the most exciting filmmakers from Brazil. Their grammar of cinema is different from that of Hollywood, that of Europe, that of Asia and even that of Cuban cinema (which is closest in style to the work of the two directors).

From what I recall, film was not in black and white but presented in a dull sepia (not full color). I wonder if it was originally made in black and white and then treated with sepia color in the eighties for effect.

I recommend this film to anyone who likes good cinema that is different from conventional Hollywood material.