The Brazilian Antonio Das Mortes casts Mauricio De Valle as a mercenary peacekeeper. Agreeing to hunt down and kill rebel soldiers, the mercenary becomes increasingly drawn to the rebel's cause. His 11th-hour turnaround does not prevent the film from ending in a bloodbath. Antonio das Mortes unabashedly casts its lot with such insurgents as Che Guevara. As such, this 1968 film had difficulty finding an American distributor until two years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
liked it.
Antonio Das Mortes could be considered a political allegory about post-colonial exploitation; a folk tale based on native lore and mystical religion that features rhymed verse, traditional songs and dance, and a larger-than-life mythical protagonist; and a formally experimental western featuring deliberately over-the-top (although not extraordinarily graphic) violence and affected performances. Viewers can note the similiarities between Antonio Das Mortes and Che Guevara, Ogum, and St. George while examining the symbolism in the film. Indeed, it may be more fun to analyze the movie than to actually watch it. While Antonio Das Mortes offers the audience a chance to listen to traditional cordel music and see the Brazilian countryside, some viewers may find it lacking in entertainment value. Some may consider the film's carefuly controlled sense of time too slow, its sense of movement too theatrical, the politics too didactic, the folkloric characters not fleshed out enough as "real" people, the formal experiments too distracting, the storyline too vague, and the narrative lacking sufficient forward momentum. In other words, some will find the movie boring and uninvolving. So while the Antonio Das Mortes stands as a landmark in the Brazilian Cinema Novo movement, it is not guaranteed to delight everyone who watches it. ~ Todd Kristel, All Movie Guide