Barravento

BARRAVENTO is an exceptionally beautiful work, shot in the dramatically filtered, black-and-white photography associated with Eisenstein’s  »Que Viva Mexico! » and Flaherty’s  »Moana. » In its use of dance and song within – and as comment on – the narrative, it parallels a number of films by Rocha’s associates in Brazil’s CinemaMNovo movement.
Even the fights are choreographed as if they were ballets. It’s also a far more tidy, far less flamboyant work than Rocha’s later films, including  »Antonio das Mortes » (1968).These are so lavish in their use of legend, left-wing politics and obscure mysticism that they tend to be more popular at film festivals than with ordinary audiences.