Bye Bye Brasil (1979)

Director:

Carlos Diegues

Writers:

Carlos Diegues (writer)
Leopoldo Serran (writer)

Release Date:

18 February 1982 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The Caravana Rolidei rolls into town with the Gypsy Lord at the mike: he does magic tricks, the erotic Salomé dances...

Plot Keywords:

Accordion | Amazon | Television | Mute | Fire Breathing

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

José Wilker	...	Lorde Cigano
Betty Faria	...	Salomé
Fábio Júnior	...	Ciço
Zaira Zambelli	...	Dasdô
Príncipe Nabor	...	Andorinha / Swallow
Emmanuel Cavalcanti	...	Prefeito / Mayor (as Emanoel Cavalcanti)
José Márcio Passos	...	Assessor Prefeito / Mayor's Assistant
Carlos Kroeber	...	Caminhoneiro / Truck Driver
Joffre Soares	...	Zé da Luz
Rodolfo Arena	...	Lavrador / Peasant
Aderbal Junior
Carlos Lagoeíro	...	Sertanejos
Catalina Bonakie	...	Viúva / Widow (as Catalina Bonaky)
Rinaldo Gines	...	Chefe Índio / Indian Chief
Marcus Vinícius	...	Empresário

Also Known As:

Bye Bye Brasil (Argentina)
Bye Bye Brazil

Runtime:

Brazil:100 min | USA:110 min

Country:

France | Brazil | Argentina

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Altamira, Pará, Brazil

Company:

Luiz Carlos Barreto Produções Cinematográficas

Movie Connections:

Features O Ébrio (1946)

Soundtrack:

White Christmas

Manifest Destiny and Elbow Room In Brazil

SYNOPSIS: A small band of circus performers drift through the hinterlands of 1970s Brazil looking for opportunity and freedom.

CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER: Escaping your everyday life and throwing caution to the wind to chase your dreams. Only to find out that your dreams aren't what you thought and that there is a big difference between lust and love.

PROS AND CONS: This is an interesting film on several levels. It shows a part of the world that is quickly disappearing. The idea that you can run off into undeveloped country and live off your wits and the kindness / stupidity of others is quickly fading in modern society. That wasn't the case in 1970s Brazil where the vast interior was full or opportunity and little else.

In this film a young man and his pregnant wife flee the poverty of rural Brazil to join the CARNIVAL ROLIDEI, a rag-tag group consisting of a charismatic con man, his dancer / prostitute girlfriend and a mute strong-man. They travel the dirt roads of Brazil, seeking peasants that are easily entertained by their simple tricks and lusty burlesque shows. Along the way, the young man and his wife come to question their fidelity and their expectations about life and one another.

The film is shot on location and the performances are very good. There is a surreal quality to the imagery that owes a tip of the hat to Federico Fellini. There is also something about the Porteguese language that is very lyrical, especially the title song that is heard throughout the film and over the end credits.

The underlying message is that freedom is not an easy thing to find. Escaping from the trappings of modern society, escaping from the trappings of your own lifestyle and the escape from the ones you love is almost impossible. None of these characters wants to be tied down, but they are tied to the desires that are at their core. They all learn from each other in the end.

This film reminds me why I have the desire to take off and see new lands where I have never been and be amazed at the unknown that I have never seen, and why in the end, I always return to my home, where I feel safe.