User Score
8 votes
“An odd story of two odd love stories”
On the banks of São Paulo's Rio Tietê, a poignant tale unfolds, featuring a tapestry of characters existing on the fringes of society. Prostitutes, a pimp, a mentally disabled man, and others marginalized by fate lead lives mired in hopelessness, devoid of any prospect. Trapped in the relentless cycle of their ordinary yet despairing existence, they yearn for release, anticipating the embrace of death as their only salvation—a collective passage onto the harrowing vessel of damnation.
Director
Writer
Status
Released
Original Language
PT
A shockingly irreverent follow-up to the rural austerity of Barren Lives, dos Santos’ Godardian social satire owes more than a nod to the self-conscious antics of the French New Wave. The pampered son of a general, El Justicero is a hipster playboy who fancies himself a James Bond/Jean Paul Sartre urban hero. “Archetypical” yet “full of contradictions,” he sees that justice is achieved for the disadvantaged while taking advantage of certain bourgeois perks. His exploits are closely followed and eventually directed by his biographer who decides a film is not only more lucrative than a book, but it gives him the luxury of reviewing previous scenes. Unlike Bond, El Jus eventually experiences an awakening which threatens to compromise the entertainment value and glamour of his life story. - Harvard Film Archive
