Deus e o Diabo Na Terra do Sol (1963), Savage Poetry

It is noted though I'm not sure where the source comes from, that Spanish director Luis Bunuel referred to Gauber Rocha's Deus e o Diabo Na Terra do Sol (1963) as a film of poetic savagery. I could not agree with him more, learning of Bunuel's admiration helps shed light on some of the similar subject matter he tackled in Simon del Desierto (1965). Rocha's film is a visual collage that relentlessly begs the spectator to connect the montage of shots, that never specifically outline a narrative. Metaphors bombard this picture, the desert, the animals, the characters, the interiors and exteriors as well as the sound. The great triumph of this film rests in the editing of brilliant shots that poetically convey to us the inhumanity oppressing the landless and the madness that ensues because of it.

Though montage is key to the expressionistic rhythm of this film, there are stark contrasts that demand we adhere to the environment. The spatial emptiness that underline the characters confusion and stress for example are usually depicted in long takes. There are also moments when the soundtrack seems to imply a certain absurdity within a particular character and their motivation. This is seen explicitly on some of the longer close ups on Sebastiao and Corisco. The use of sound in this film is put to test when we hear Rosa's agonizing screams as Manuel embarks upon his mad choices. The use of the Priest Sebastiao demands that we reflect on the meaning of peasant revolt perhaps? I tend to understand his presence as a tool that alludes to the release of the poor from their hardship, much like Marx, the combination of religion and violence is the opiate of the peasants in this film.

Deus e o Diabo Na Terra do Sol is a reflective film in the most original of ways. The combination of static and jump shots implies that we reflect on the state of being of the characters and the environment; it also demands that we interpret the absurd helplessness of the characters and the environment. Such savage poetry is meant to question the uses of revolt and what those measures actually accomplish for those truly oppressed.