Baixio das Bestas

"Baixio das Bestas" (2006) is not framed as conventional entertainment, but rather as a profound reflection on the social tragedies that afflict the interior of Brazil, problems that have perpetuated over the years and still persist in several regions.

The promising cast delivers powerful and convincing performances, elevating the film's immersion and emotionally impacting viewers. The plot is disturbing and uncomfortable, reflecting director Cláudio Assis' clear intention to provoke discomfort and reflection. In just a few minutes, the plot addresses critical social issues, such as the sexual exploitation of young women, physical and psychological violence, poverty, social marginalization and impunity, developing these themes with depth and sensitivity. However, the film opts for a more fragmented narrative, composed of melancholic and depressing scenes, abandoning a cohesive structure in favor of a raw and visceral exposition of Brazilian reality.

"Baixio das Bestas" is not an easy-to-digest film, but its intention is precisely to shock and awaken the public to a tangle of social criticism. For those who understand the context and objectives of the work, it proves to be a profound and necessary experience.

I'm Brazilian and I have to say that lately I've been really impressed by our local production... And "Baixio das Bestas" is one of those films that stuck in my mind for a while and I decided to write this review... Before watching it, i was already preparing myself for some kind of a shocking film, since its director is the excellent Cláudio Assis, a very raw person who speaks (and shoots) what he really feels is the true reality of our country. The cast of "Baixio das Bestas" hands out incredible performances, the characters are deep and violent. And before anyone says they're too brutal or something like, it must be considered that they are depicting the reality of Brazilian countryside, based on conservative and traditional rules. The film is great, superb cinematography and directing.

Baixio das Bestas, 8/10

Bog of Beasts revolves around a greedy, narrow-minded Grandfather who uses his deceased daughter's child for money. Sure she does all the work around the house, but she's also forced into stripping her clothes off and standing nude in front of horny, perverted men. With another sub-plot revolving around Brazilian playboys (spoiled rich kids) who do nothing but drink, do drugs and bang whores, the story gives us a very intimate view into Brazil's prostitution circuit and the people who are intertwined within it.

The production values are fantastic. With stunningly gorgeous shots of the more tropical and rural parts of Brazil, the cinematography really works well. It's funny how they change it up from sleazy parties with lewd acts to beautiful backdrops with rivers and palm trees. The acting is pretty much perfect as well. With the pervert Grandpa having a great performance and our pal, Carrot, from City of God is again show-casing his great acting skills.

The movie's production values and acting is all fantastic stuff, but the story was somewhat of a let-down, and pretty predictable. The movie does have some explicit scenes involving child molestation and rape but it's nothing so crazy it will ruin the movie. The scenes are all realistic, which is also a good thing, but the story itself, just felt very familiar. And it didn't really go anywhere. By the middle of the flick, I had a very good idea where it'd be heading, and I wasn't wrong. Not to say the story was told poorly, but it just didn't do much for me. Though, I am curious to how much prostitution and child prostitution with assistance from family members is abound in Brazil. Obviously, it takes place all over the world, but I'm assuming in Brazil (because of this movie) it may be a little worse that most.

Nevertheless, the movie works the majority of the time, and I enjoyed all actors. One minor problem, why were they calling that incredibly gorgeous woman a "vulture"? That was some bad casting right there. She's most likely some type of super model....oh well. It was nice seeing her naked briefly though. Bog of Beasts is a somewhat tedious flick, with a strong message behind it. If you're into serious drama, then I'd recommend you give it a look.

In the countryside of Pernambuco, in a small village nearby a sugarcane plantation and an alcohol plant, the despicable and cheap Heitor (Fernando Teixeira) abuses of his sixteen year-old granddaughter Auxiliadora (Mariah Teixeira), submitting her to slavery and humiliations during the days, and every now and then exposing her naked body to truck drivers in a gas station in the night to raise additional money. The group of potheads leaded by Everardo (Matheus Nachtergaele) spends their time in violent orgies with prostitutes, drinking booze and smoking marijuana, and the mean and sadistic Cícero (Caio Blatt) desires the virgin Auxiliadora.

"Baixio das Bestas" is a pointless and cheap exploitation of sex, humiliations, violence and sadism without any message. The performances are awesome, but the unpleasant story goes nowhere with a terrible screenplay that throws characters without any previous development; only later the viewer has a big picture of what is happening and who they are. Probably the objective of director Cláudio Assis is to raise polemic to have the spots on him, unfortunately in an awful and nasty way. And the worst, it seems to have worked based on the several wins and nominations of this movie in minor festivals. My vote is three.

Title (Brazil): "Baixio das Bestas"

This film, showcasing the "beasts" in a village, earns my admiration as a remarkable piece of work. In an industry typically dominated by humanistic narratives that focus on the inherent goodness within people, suggesting that ordinary individuals lean towards the virtuous side of the moral spectrum, this film takes a contrasting, pessimistic stance on human nature-a perspective with which I found myself closely aligned.

The narrative unfolds over a few ordinary days in the lives of some young lads, a couple of prostitutes, and various villagers, typical of everyday existence. The film refrains from extraordinary events, yet exposes decay and moral corruption in the mundane moments of daily life. What's intriguing is that even the characters responsible for this decay and moral corruption express complains, yet they perceive themselves as innocent, projecting all immorality onto others. The depiction of this hypocrisy, a prevalent aspect of human behavior in real life, pleased me.

While the film shows us lives of several characters, there is a specific character that the narrative distinctly focuses on-Auxiliadora, a young girl exploited by her grandfather. We can say that the film's main focus revolving around her. The realism depicted in the film arises from its authenticity. Though one can anticipate the general trajectory of the girl's experiences early on, the film's realism, not predictability, is what makes it compelling.

"Bog of Beasts" is one of the most authentic films I've seen in a long time. It was so authentic that I found some dialogues challenging to comprehend. Jokes aside, I'm glad I watched it.

For me, the most impressive scene in the film is when Everardo delivers the following monologue: "-you know the best thing about the cinema?" He takes a deep drag from his cigarette and looks directly into the camera: "-in the cinema you can do whatever you like." Wow, it was truly powerful. For this scene alone, I can wholeheartedly recommend the film.

For me the best thing about cinema is filmmakers who create original and bold works like this. Thanks to everyone involved in the making of this film.