Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol
Encyclopedia
Black God, White Devil is a 1964 Brazilian film directed and written by Glauber Rocha. The film stars Othon Bastos
, Maurício do Valle
, Yoná Magalhães, and Geraldo Del Rey
. It belongs to the Cinema Novo
movement, addressing the socio-political problems of 1960s Brazil. The film is being released on DVD
in North America
for the first time by Koch-Lorber Films
.
, when ranch hand Manuel (Geraldo Del Rey) is fed up with his situation. His boss tries to cheat him of his earnings and Manuel kills him, fleeing with his wife, Rosa (Yoná Magalhães). Now an outlaw, Manuel joins up with a self-proclaimed saint who condones violence (at one point slaughtering a baby) and preaches disturbing doctrines. It is now Rosa who turns to killing and the two are on the move once again. And so it goes, the two running from one allegiance to another, following the words of others as they attempt to find a place in their ruthless land. Blending mysticism
, religion
, and popular culture
in this symbolic and realistic drama, Rocha insists that rather than follow the external and obscure dogmas of culture and religion, man must determine his path by his own voice.
In the scene where we see Manuel (Geraldo Del Rey) carrying a huge stone over his head while climbing Monte Santo on his knees, Del Rey insisted on carrying a real stone that weighted over 20 kilos - something that worried Rocha. After the shooting, Del Rey had to take 2 days off, due to fatigue.
During the dubbing of the sound, Othon Bastos performed three voices. Besides dubbing himself as Corisco
, he performed the voice for Lampião
(whom Corisco had "incorporated") and also dubbed Sebastião, the black God, even though Lídio Silva played the character on screen.
at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival
, but failed to win. It was also selected as the Brazilian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 37th Academy Awards
, but was not accepted as a nominee.
Othon Bastos
Othon Bastos is a Brazilian film actor. He has appeared in 50 films since 1962.-Selected filmography:-External links:...
, Maurício do Valle
Maurício do Valle
Maurício do Valle was a Brazilian film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1952 and 1994. He is also known for his roles in several Brazilian TV series, such as Rede Globo's Roque Santeiro , and even for his role of secondary actor in the series Os Trapalhões, as well as in some films of this...
, Yoná Magalhães, and Geraldo Del Rey
Geraldo Del Rey
Geraldo Del Rey was a Brazilian actor. He appeared in 65 films and television shows between 1950 and 1992.-Selected filmography:* O Pagador de Promessas * Black God, White Devil...
. It belongs to the Cinema Novo
Cinema Novo
Cinema Novo was practised by Brazilian filmmakers in the 1950s and 1960s. In Portugal, Novo Cinema flourished after the 1960s, where it lasted, inspired by Italian Neo-Realism and the French movement of the New wave, the direct cinema techniques, and by the ideals the Carnation Revolution up to...
movement, addressing the socio-political problems of 1960s Brazil. The film is being released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
for the first time by Koch-Lorber Films
Koch-Lorber Films
Koch-Lorber Films, launched in February 2003, is an independent film distributor and DVD label based in New York...
.
Plot
The film starts in the 1940s, during another drought in the sertãoSertão
In Portuguese, the word sertão first referred to the vast hinterlands of Asia that Lusitanian explorers encountered. In Brazil, the geographical term referred to backlands away from the Atlantic coastal regions where the Portuguese first settled in South America in the early sixteenth century...
, when ranch hand Manuel (Geraldo Del Rey) is fed up with his situation. His boss tries to cheat him of his earnings and Manuel kills him, fleeing with his wife, Rosa (Yoná Magalhães). Now an outlaw, Manuel joins up with a self-proclaimed saint who condones violence (at one point slaughtering a baby) and preaches disturbing doctrines. It is now Rosa who turns to killing and the two are on the move once again. And so it goes, the two running from one allegiance to another, following the words of others as they attempt to find a place in their ruthless land. Blending mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, and popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
in this symbolic and realistic drama, Rocha insists that rather than follow the external and obscure dogmas of culture and religion, man must determine his path by his own voice.
Cast
- Geraldo Del ReyGeraldo Del ReyGeraldo Del Rey was a Brazilian actor. He appeared in 65 films and television shows between 1950 and 1992.-Selected filmography:* O Pagador de Promessas * Black God, White Devil...
as Manuel - Yoná Magalhães as Rosa
- Othon BastosOthon BastosOthon Bastos is a Brazilian film actor. He has appeared in 50 films since 1962.-Selected filmography:-External links:...
as Corisco - Maurício do ValleMaurício do ValleMaurício do Valle was a Brazilian film actor. He appeared in 70 films between 1952 and 1994. He is also known for his roles in several Brazilian TV series, such as Rede Globo's Roque Santeiro , and even for his role of secondary actor in the series Os Trapalhões, as well as in some films of this...
as Antônio das Mortes - Lidio Silva as Sebastião
- Sonia Dos Humildes as Dadá
- João Gama as Priest
- Antônio PintoAntónio PintoAntónio Coelho Pinto is a Portuguese long-distance runner.Pinto won the London Marathon in 1992, 1997 and 2000, as well as the 10,000 metres final at the 1998 European Championships in Athletics in Budapest, Hungary. Pinto's best time in the marathon is 2:06:36...
as Colonel - Milton Rosa as Moraes (as Milton Roda)
- Roque Santos as (as Roque)
Production
Glauber Rocha was 25 years old when he wrote and began to direct the film.In the scene where we see Manuel (Geraldo Del Rey) carrying a huge stone over his head while climbing Monte Santo on his knees, Del Rey insisted on carrying a real stone that weighted over 20 kilos - something that worried Rocha. After the shooting, Del Rey had to take 2 days off, due to fatigue.
During the dubbing of the sound, Othon Bastos performed three voices. Besides dubbing himself as Corisco
Corisco
Corisco, or Mandj, is a small island of Equatorial Guinea, located 29 km southwest of the Rio Muni estuary that defines the border with Gabon...
, he performed the voice for Lampião
Lampião
"Captain" Virgulino Ferreira da Silva, better known as Lampião , was the most famous leader of a Cangaço band, marauders and outlaws who terrorized the Brazilian Northeast in the 1920s and 1930s.-Biography:...
(whom Corisco had "incorporated") and also dubbed Sebastião, the black God, even though Lídio Silva played the character on screen.
Awards
The film was nominated for the Golden PalmPalme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 1964 Cannes Film Festival
1964 Cannes Film Festival
The 17th Cannes Film Festival was held from 29 April to 14 May 1964. The Palme d’Or is renamed 'Grand Prix International du Festival', the name that will be used until 1975.-Jury:*Fritz Lang *Charles Boyer...
, but failed to win. It was also selected as the Brazilian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 37th Academy Awards
37th Academy Awards
The 37th Academy Awards honored film achievements of 1964. For the first time, an award was presented in the field of makeup. All four acting awards went to non-American actors, something not repeated until the 80th Academy Awards were awarded for 2007....
, but was not accepted as a nominee.
See also
- List of submissions to the 37th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Brazilian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film