Joao, a young black farmer has just finished his time in prison after executing an officer in revenge for his father’s death. He heads for Brasilia to start any new life he can find, and tracks down a distant cousin. Indifferent in his choice of career, he begins working deliveries for his drug boss cousin, when he meets Maria Lucia, a white student of architecture. It’s love at first sight, and if the race issue wasn’t hurdle enough (especially in the late 70’s setting), Maria has ties to rival drug traffickers.
Call me crazy, but I was expecting to see a western set in Brazil. The standoff pictured on the poster was my second clue, but the first, the title… really says it all. From the start, the film did appear to be a western. When Joao first strikes out on his own, we get the impression killing that cop is only the first act as an outlaw on the run. You know, classic western stuff. The movie, as if sensing ensuing triteness, chooses not to head down that well-lit road, and meanders its way through a new, winding genre path, which intersects the gangster picture at nearly every turn. Guided through this darkness by a sort of Romeo and Juliet flashlight, the movie does manage to makes its way to the end.
Sounds interesting, yeah? It should. None of that is a bad idea. In fact, its resemblance to Shakespeare’s play is only coincidence, because a popular Brazilian song is actually from where the film has taken both its name and plot. Still a tremendous concept, and there is a lot of good work here. The acting is phenomenal. Its chosen decade has been faithfully reproduced. The shooting is lovingly done by a keen-eyed director and crew, and they have created a specific, flourishing vision. The only problem is that its script maybe adhered too closely to its source material, which is just not a story interesting enough to carry the empty characters.
That’s not to say they are all stock, but for the most part, I have trouble describing them in a definite way. That creates problems when anyone is supposed to be motivated enough to make big choices. Maria, for instance, is steadfast in her commitment to not date criminals. The temptation is there, because drug dealers populate most of her social circle, yet she doesn’t have one damn question for Joao about his possible extra-curricular activities. When they meet, he is running from gangsters, enters her bedroom window, grabs her from behind and puts his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. He convinces her he isn’t there to hurt her. He only needs to hide from the men who are chasing him. We are supposed to believe that doesn’t raise any red flags for her? The characters don’t drive this story. It is, instead, driven by the elements found in the song which inspired it. Not to mention a dozen other scenes and story beats borrowed from other gangster pictures, and that doesn’t make for particularly interesting viewing, either.
I walk away from this movie, regardless of its flaws, excited to see what this director could do with a better screenplay. Rene Sampaio doesn’t relax for even a moment in delivering one great shot after another. Many scenes are truly unique and exciting, and he thoughtfully executes each one with style and depth when it comes to editing and cinematography. If only the people moving through his world were more fully drawn and compelling. I am excited to see what he does next.
THE PACKAGE
Behind The Scenes Documentary: Thorough and interesting look the production.
