Reviews (10)

This movie is excellent
You will be amazed at the beauty of a culture that flourished among the slaves at Palmeres. Absolute beauty of africans who decided their own fate in brazil fighting against the rule or the cruel portuguese who tried (and often did) slaughter black people whole sale in south america after slave revolts.

It is an amazing film , that anyone from any culture will enjoy. As an African-American , i really recommend this film to others who made not be aware of the africans who are in south america

historical movie about an aspect of Brazilian slavery
It is estimated that Brazil imported up to as much as ten times as many slaves as imported by the United States. In Brazil many of these slaves were able to run away and form their own communities known as "quilombos." The only similar phenomenon in the United States that I can think of is the experience of the Seminoles who were a mixture of fleeing Creek Indians and escape black slaves along with other strains. And like the history of the Seminole Wars, it was not an easy matter to defeat the forces of the quilombos. But the destruction of these communities as a threat to the institution of Brazilian slavery was seen as a necessity by the whites. And this destruction was ultimately accomplished with considerable brutality.

The movie traces the story of the quilombo known as Palmares in the mountains outside of the town of Recife in northeast Brazil. It is an especially interesting story because it makes such a fascinating contrast with our American stories of slave revolts and escapes. One roots for the black settlement, but always is conscious of the probable fate of that same settlement. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney, Ph.D. in sociology

Brilliant
Being curious about slavery outside of the US, Quilombo seemed to be a good start for me to get a visual sense of what the slaves endured during those times. I am from Ife, Nigeria. The cradle and source of all Yoruba. As I watched Quilombo and saw the language and religion of my people displayed regularly through the depictions of the slaves,I felt a kinship onscreen with the characters and of seeing the fate of my people who were brought over to Brazil in chains, but still used the "source" to garner the strength to chase off their captors. Ogun, Shango, all are references to the dieties in the Yoruba faith. It's obvious that those freed in Brazil did everything to retain their old ways of life, and did so in death. I felt honored to be "introduced" to the fate of my people when they crossed towards the otherside. The movie touched me very personally. A must see....

historically fascinating, but a cheesy & outdated production
This film tells the true story of escaped black slaves who found their own mountain-top commune as free men in 17th-century Brazil. The story is interesting and edifying and is worth viewing by the student of colonialism. However, this film -- as a film -- is terrible. The story may stir pride in the heart of Africans, African-Americans, and Afro-Caribbeans, but the production seems almost laughable by today's standards.

The box lauds the "the pulsing beat of Gilberto Gil's rhythmic musical score." The soundtrack is not period music or tribal music. It sounds more like Afro-Brazilian pop music from the early 1980s. Violent battle scenes are fought to the sounds of cheesy pop beats, complete with sythesizers. Admittedly, the lyrics -- which are subtitled -- are moving folk-music tales of the fighters' heroism.

The special effects and staging are highly dated at best and absurd at worst. While they may appeal to those who claim to be steeped in African spiritualism, they alienate a more critical viewer. Rather than invoke mysticism and atavistic beliefs, they make the film look cheap. For example:
-- Spears turn to fire in the hands of warriors.
-- Children "fight" slave catchers by turning cartwheels and bewildering their enemies before jumping on them all at once. (And these slave catchers have muskets, which they infrequently use.)
-- The lighting effects used to create a conversion between the present king (Zumbi) and the deceased king (Ganga Zumba) are like something out of a high school video project.

I cringed watching the director's portrayal of daily life within the commune of Palmares. The video box calls it "carnival madness." That's exactly what it is. There are countless scenes of dance parties in which the Palmarans paint themselves bright colors and whirl around to the strains of '80s pop music. Moreover, where is the real daily life? What is it actually like in Palmares? The freed slaves have an abundance of oversized and colorful vegetables, but the viewer hardly sees any work being done. The king also advocates a naive and benign socialism, which may or may not have prevailed in the real Palmares. Am I really to believe that all food was commonly owned, even that which was privately grown?

As a professional historian and an expert on colonialism, I am glad that I watched this film. On the other hand, as a professional historian, I did not come away from the film with the view that is the way it truly was. The film's depiction or moralizing is far too simplistic; and the music/special effects deny it a quality of reality. Both the box of the video and other reviewers compare this tale to "Roots" by Alex Haley. In terms of story, that may be so, but "Roots" never seemed to border on farce.

"Struggle of African descended people for freedom."
Stunningly beautiful full of a wondrous music score.
Vivid and gritty story of Brasil during colonial times.
With slavery and the neverending fight to be free. All
viewed through the driving force of Candomble'. Scholars and
students of Latin/Caribbean history will want to explore the story of Zumbi. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

I didnt get it
This was supposed to be a story about a slave who used her wits to rise out of slavery. Not too much attention was given to her wits, unless you equate promiscuity with wits. I am sure Xica displayed other attributes than what this film displayed

what brazilians think of afro-brazilian women
A racist film that uses exotica and the most rabid stereotypes of black sexuality to sell a flawed product. Hopefully a proud, educated Afro-Brazilian will come along some day and tell the true story of Xica.

Great Story
After watching the TV version of the movie I can say that Xica Da Silva is one of the best black stories ever.Full of romance,sex,nudity and blood,this movie gives us an idea of how slaves were treated.Xica became one of my fave stories ever.This story hasn't been explore too much because of it strong content.Even though it's a great story it's a little odd for people to get the real point of it without seeing it as a vulgarity.

A spicy cinematic window into Brazilian history
"Xica," directed by Carlos Diegues, is based on the story of an actual figure from Brazilian history, Xica da Silva. As depicted in the film, Xica was an 18th century black slave who used her wits and sexuality to rise to a position of prominence in colonial Brazil. Diegues' version of her story is a lively and colorful evocation of this formative era in the Brazilian past.

Zeze Motta is incredible in the title role. She brings to life a character who is sexy, playful, fiery, determined, and intelligent. The supporting cast is fine, and they play the film's comic scenes with particular gusto.

"Xica" explores the complexities of life in colonial Brazil. Phenomena addressed include economic forces, the institution of slavery, and tensions involving the Portuguese government. The character interrelationships involve the many dichotomies of that culture: white and black, male and female, slave and free, government official and outlaw. At times, the "alien" nature of the institutions and relationships depicted made me feel like I was watching a science fiction film.

"Xica" is filled with scenes of both tragedy and bawdy humor. It is rich in energy and exoticism. I strongly recommend this film to all those interested in Brazilian history, the institution of slavery, and racial/sexual politics.

XICA QUE MANDA
I CONSIDER IT IS A MOVIE EXCEPTIONALLY DONE. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Carlos Diegues directs this internationally popular 1980 film about a traveling tent show and its various players as the unsteady company tours the cities, villages, and jungles of Brazil. Diegues brings a nimble and inventive sensibility, and the film moves well with a fantasy-laced lyricism and wit that predate magic realism in cinema. The transience of the major characters allows Diegues to offer a roaming vision of the changing social culture in Brazil, and he does so with only gentle satiric asides. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (2)

fascinating tour of a quickly disappearing Brazil
This film is a fascinating tour of a quickly disappearing Brazil. It is a wonderful way to explore the fifth largest nation in land area in the world. A group of traveling entertainers just barely making their living (often supplemented by the prostitution of the woman character known as the "Queen of the Rhumba") by traveling from one backwoods town to the next. The journey starts in the very dry region in northeast Brazil where the troupe picks up two young "hicks" and extends into the jungles of the Amazon. The entire troupe, however, is somewhat gullible because they do not realize how their backwoods Brazil is disappearing as television and major highways unite almost all the country's diverse regions into a modern Brazil. We witness the troupe's surprise and disgust as they move from one part of Brazil to another.

The journey is a sad one as it in part traces the ecological damage being done to Brazil by rapid industrialization and the damage done to the small backwoods towns and to the native Brazilians -- the "Indians." But it is always an interesting story because it also traces the emotional development of a young man with an obsessive love complex into a mature young family man. Dr. Patrick L. Cooney, Ph.D. sociology

Show the end of the 70's of a unknown Brazil
This interesting movie shows the contrast of arecently industrialized Brazil with the naive and undiscovered Brazil. ... Read more

Description

Tieta returns triumphantly to her town 26-years later as the rich and powerful widow of an industrialist and turns her tiny village upside-down. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Sonia Shines
This review refers to the DVD(Fox Lorber) edition of "Tieta of Agreste"

Tieta is brash and sassy. She's worldly and flashy, beautiful and wealthy. She wasn't always all these things though. Banished from her poor, small village for her promiscuity years before, she now returns to show them all!
The family that once shunned her, now embraces her...and her money!

As she makes her entrance back into the tiny town in her flashy red car, the villagers welcome her back with open arms(as does the audience). She is their savior. Her money will bring the village the much needed electricity they have been doing without. Along with her is another beautiful woman. The young,demure Lenora, introduced as Tieta's stepdaughter. Their presence shakes up the this quiet, remote Brazilian village,and not even a seminary student is safe from Tieta's charms.These women have a secret though...one that may send them packing once more!

Directed by Carlos Diegues, and set in the most beautiful locale, the story and the characters will definately have you smiling throughout. But it is Sonia Braga who carries this film on her lovely shoulders to make it the engaging delight that it is. She turns in an electrifying portrayal of Tieta and her screen presence is mesmerizing.

The film is in Portuguese with English subititles. The DVD presents a very nice letterboxed picture and has very good sound in stereo. There is a short featurette on the making of "Tieta" and some filmographies.

A nice film to add to your foreign film collection, one that will certainly have repeated viewings. Four stars for this fine Brazilian entry,one of which shines brightly for Sonia Braga!

Enjoy....Laurie

Read the book first
The book (by Jorge Amado) should be read before seeing the movie.

I did enjoy the movie, but this is one of those wonderful books that could never fully be captured on film (though I do have to say the casting was great all around -- will have to reread the book again now that I have the picture of Sonia Braga as Tieta in my head).

A great movie... if you read the book... but... I think it would be a lot harder to follow without the knowledge of the book. (It doesn't contradict the book, it's just a lot less complex a story than the book, but that's the nature of distilling a 400 page book into a 2 hour movie.)

Get away before is too late
What a terrible movie!!!! I wanted to watch this movie because I am a fan of "Tieta's Soap Opera". What a mistake! The story is not the same, the actors are not good, the whole situation is wrong. I had to watch this piece of .... fast forwarding. What a waste of time and money.

Hugely disappointing!
Another one of those books that didn't translate well to the bring screen. In Brazil they frequently make mini-series based on famous works of literature; in such a format, there's a lot more time to develop a work of the complexity of "Tieta do Agreste". In fact, there has been a mini-series made of this novel in Brazil, but I haven't seen it. However, from seeing other Brazillian mini-series made of other Jorge Amado novels (of which there have been probably a dozen), I can say that they have tended to come across better than a hour-and-a-half to two hour movie; that simply is not enough time to present any of the longer novels of Amado. In the case of this movie, the focus is primarily on the relationship between Tieta and her nephew, while the main plot of the novel, the machinations of unscrupulous industrialists to locate a highly toxic titanium oxide plant in the middle of a pristine tropical paradise, is almost an afterthought. The cinematography may be beautiful, and Sonia Braga never looked more gorgeous, but if you've read the wonderful novel, it's just not enough! Altogether disappointing.

Great book. Great actress. Good soundtrack. Mediocre Film
Adapted from Jorge Amado's brilliant book, this should have been much better considering its source, the talents of actress Sonia Braga, director Carlos Diegus's past films, and a soundtrack by Caetano Veloso! Sadly it's an average film, with a handful of well known Brazilian actors and some nice locations-- nothing more, nothing less. You'll watch this once but probably never need to again. The problem is partly that Amado's books are hard to condense in under two hours and his books tend to include a lot characters' inner thoughts and emotions that are hard to translate onto film when you consider his books average about 500 pages or more. There are a handful of grammar & spelling mistakes in the English subtitles too. A pleasant enough film but nothing special. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Excellent movie
I did not see the original "Black Orpheus" and I am not from Brazil, but I really loved this movie. I has a lot of reality from everyday life all around the world. I got to see a side of Brazil that was wonderfull also, it was shot during he actual carnival. The colors, the shots, the music it's simply beautiful. The fact that the movie is a tragedy makes it more wonderful. I recomend it to anyone who likes to see foreign movies. I fell in love with the carnival scenes, the excitement of the Brazilians and the costumes are all so beautiful.

Beautiful Movie!
I have the original VHS, but it's in Portuguese with no subtitles. I love this movie so much that I've pre-ordered the DVD so I can share it with my non-portuguese-speaking friends.

Not only you get the Orpheus myth in a new light, you get beautiful music, stunning sights from Rio and from the Carnival, and an insight about the "slum culture".

Direction is excellent. Murilo Benicio (the drug lord, can also be seen in "Woman on Top") steals the movie with great acting in but a few scenes. Toni Garrido (Orfeu) is a better singer than actor, but does a decent job.

If you like this (I'm sure you will), you should also see "Bossa Nova", with Amy Irving and Antonio Fagundes, also available in DVD.

Not as good as the original but very close...
This was a pretty well done film. Although it is not as good as the original (1959's "Orfeu Negro") it comes pretty close. I would recommend renting both this and the original to compare the two first. This version definitely appeals to a younger crowd than the older version, but it was still produced in a very tasteful, well crafted way. Also, the soundtrack to this film was quite impressive, so if you enjoy the movie be sure to check the music out as well. Unlike a lot of movie soundtracks which don't include tracks from the movie, the soundtrack to this film does a pretty good job of including the music from all the memorable scenes. Overall, this movie is definitely worth checking out.

Beautiful Brazil With Music
I stumbled across this movie during early morning. I watched it until the end. Next I purchased the DVD. This is the story of unexpected love that very inspiring. It shows change and the effects of one soul on another. The cinematography manages to capture the essence of Carnival without neglecting the story. It is definitely a DVD purchase.

What A Beautiful Love Story!
I discovered this movie while channel surfing in the middle of the night, and it instantly captivated me! Orfeu is a beautifully tragic love story set in the modern slums of Brazil. The movie not only serves to entertain, but it is also quite educational as it depicts the harshness and reality of life within the Brazilian slums. I gazed in amazement at the wonderfully energetic Carnival ceremony and the brilliant waves of color as the Samba schools danced in their striking costumes. I am generally not a fan of movies with subtitles, but you cannot help but fall in love with each of the characters. This DVD is definitely a collector's item and I strongly encourage you to purchase it. Simply and utterly beautiful, Orfeu promises to steal your heart. ... Read more

Description

God is stressed and needs a break from the Earth and the troublesome human race. But before he can take his vacation, he has to find himself a temporary replacement. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Theologically Compelling and Comical
This movie, God is Brazilian, is one of the best films of the year.In the story, God wishes to take a break from managing the
Earth, and comes to Brazil to find a holy man to replace him for
a short time, while he enjoys the stars and alternate universes.
God meets several individuals on his "road trip" through
Brazil to find this saint, and discusses his views on miracles,
death, love, devotion, and faith.However, the movie is a comedy and turns out to be both theologically intriguing as well
as "extremely funny" at times. I know of nothing like this
film and it far surpasses any American film which tries to
take a comical view of theological concerns.I cannot recommend it enough for those interested in religion or comedy. ... Read more