Behind The Sun
2001
BEHIND THE SUN takes place in 1910, in the small town of Stream-of-Souls, Brazil, where two families have been engaged in a long battle for control of what appears to be nearly barren land. The Breves clan--mother, father, 20-year-old Tonio, and little Pacu (called the kid), are a poor family struggling to make it with their .. Read more
| Starring | Jose Dumont, Rodrigo Santoro, Luis Carlos Vasconcelos, Flavia Marco Antonio |
|---|---|
| Director | Walter Salles |
| Genres | Drama |
loading...
Behind The Sun
BEHIND THE SUN takes place in 1910, in the small town of Stream-of-Souls, Brazil, where two families have been engaged in a long battle for control of what appears to be nearly barren land. The Breves clan--mother, father, 20-year-old Tonio, and little Pacu (called the kid), are a poor family struggling to make it with their small sugarcane mill that has outlived its usefulness. In front of their house, a bloodied shirt swings in the breeze, the sun slowly fading the red stain surrounding a hole. When the bloodstain turns yellow, Tonio sets out to hunt down the Ferreira brother who killed the eldest Breves child, Inacio. The chase scene through the forest is stunningly shot by cinematographer Waler Carvalho. After Tonio accomplishes his mission, it becomes his turn to wait for the bloodied Ferreira shirt to turn yellow, after which the next-in-line Ferreira brother will come after him.
Walter Salles, whose previous film was the touching CENTRAL STATION, has brilliantly adapted Ismail Kadare's book BROKEN APRIL, moving the blood feud to Brazil from Albania. The futility of the family battle is made clear through beautiful shots of the vast desert landscape that physically separates the two families as their next generation perishes one by one. Rodrigo Santoro, a captivating cross between Keanu Reeves and Edward Burns, is excellent as Tonio, who tries to seek peace and love before his time is up, but the film belongs to young Ravi Ramos Vasconcelos, who, as Pacu--the kid--narrates the film and is the centerpoint of the story. It is through his eyes that the story is told, and the result is both magnificent and horrific.
| Starring | Jose Dumont, Rodrigo Santoro, Luis Carlos Vasconcelos, Flavia Marco Antonio, Rita Assemany, Othon Bastos, Ravi Ramos Lacerda, Everaldo Pontes |
|---|---|
| Director | Walter Salles |
| Studio | WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 32 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: Portuguese |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 25 Nov 2002 Production year: 2001 |
| Format | DVD |
-
Critics' reviews (5)
View all -
Inspired by the novel Broken April by Albanian writer Ismail Kadaré, this handsome tale of feuding families in the Brazilian badlands of the early 1900s brandishes its art house credentials like a badge of honour. Every composition devised by director Walter Salles and his Central Station cinematographer Walter Carvalho is painstakingly exquisite. However, for all the touches of magic and gushing pathos, there's no real thematic or emotional depth to the proceedings. This is especially so once marked man Rodrigo Santoro hits the road with circus performer Flavia Marco Antonio and tries to experience life before his destiny overtakes him. It's immaculate film-making, but less than satisfying cinema.
-
"...A tragedy shot through with moments of blinding brilliance, BEHIND THE SUN is a beautiful parable....Salles ensures that audiences will go away optimistic -- a true gift indeed..."
-
Most helpful member's review
View all -
13 out of 14 people found this review helpful
[Highly rated reviewer]
beautiful and a little empty
Exquisitely filmed, if on occasion a little too reminiscent of one of the more lavish coffee commercials - strangely there seems to be an unlikely dearth of flies in whatever territory this was shot. It doesn't really deal with Brazil's past - it's an Albanian story - but it does dwell on the falsely-noble ideals of brutish rustic society: if you're in the wrong mood for this (as I was), the utter stupidity of men of the past (in this case) and their brutal rituals can put you off the whole narrative.
-
Most recent members' review
View all -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Visually stunning and deceptively simple
I chose this film because I so enjoyed The Motorcycle Diaries, and it did not disappoint. Visually stunning, deceptively simple with exceptional performances, notably from the young boy as Pacu, it's a rare treat from beginning to end. I can't pretend to understand what could drive people to such crazy self destruction over an arid patch of land, however, that incomprehension doesn't matter because the story is so strong, very moving and ultimately strangely uplifting for a tragedy. Rarely have I seen such a poignant portrayal of brotherly love. As a mother I was also very touched by the plight of the poor woman who stood stoically by while her children were slaughtered until she can stand the pain of loss no longer. Her wails of anguish were almost unbearable. This is cinema at its best.
-
Image gallery
View all -
More like this
View allShowing 1 to 4 of 20
Related user collection
Axis of Evil (5)
86.6% from 3 members
Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop
-
-
- Behind The Sun
- DVD: £3.93
Free Delivery - RRP £15.79 (you save: 75%)
BEHIND THE SUN takes place in 1910, in the small town of Stream-of-Souls, Brazil, where two families have been engaged in a long battle for control of what appears to be nearly barren land. The ... -