User reviews

The first narrative feature movie by Maurice Capovilla is a little messy, with problems of pace and the insertion of situations that add nothing (like the bully scene of Robertão, which seems to be representative of a cliché of Brazilian cinema between the 60's and 80's: Maurício do Valle to be presented as an outlaw strong man who beats people, just like Jece Valadão was always presented in his movies as a mysoginous outlaw womanizer). However, despite those problems, the film does have good moments and a positive outcome. Numerous young women dream about becoming famous and having an artistic career, but meet a patriarchy structure where womanizer men control the opportunities and mess their work with their private sexual life. Dissimulated or sometimes explicit prostitution is turned the modus operandi, and Bebel's journey is an excellent portrayal of that. In that journey, Rossana Ghessa's character meets several men (in a too chaotic and disconnected script, I must say), but Marcelo is the only one to present her an alternative way. Geraldo Del Rey's character is the director's message against military dictatorship (and the repression against workers) and also who brings the word against entering this societal structure which is actually a human flesh grinding machine. Bebel's sister, played by Joana Fomm, is also a voice against her path, but, differently from hers, Marcelo never makes it as a denounce against the leading role character. Indeed, Marcelo knows better than any other character in the movie that there are much more to be denounced in that authoritarian capitalist society, where people are disposable and replaceable. Bebel is used by all other men, and each of them throw her away when her utility is no more. For some of them, she is an useful object until the end.

If you have read or heard positive comments about this movie, don't believe it. It's true that there is a plot, which is more than you can say about many Brazilian movies of the sixties and seventies. It's also true that the acting is not bad, which is also more than you can say about many Brazilian movies of any period. Sorry, but there aren't many more good things that I can say about it. They came up with a ridiculous character of a reporter, that doesn't make any sense and makes a dull movie even duller. Everything in this movie is mechanical and lifeless, and seems to advance at a turtle's pace. If you want to see Rossana Ghessa in top shape, this is recommendable. Otherwise, it is not.