A film that rewards with repeated viewings, I appreciated the review by 'debblyst' which gives a close reading of a film & historical background that can test the patience on its first viewing. It's also clear how this film influenced film-makers like Leone.
I loved the setting of the austere desert, almost biblical landscape, harsh, cruel and devoid of water (spirituality, humanity). The film doesn't possess a traditional narrative, but it is basically two lengthy sequences where the lead protagonist, Manuel, and his wife, Rosa, come under the influence of a false prophet and then a psychopathic revolutionary before heading into an uncertain future where a man must listen to his own voice.
A film dominated by striking images such as the path up to Monte Santo, the massacre of the Monte Santo innocents & subversive images such as the shadow of Rosa's knife & das Mortes' gun crossing on the wall in an ironic reversal of the Communist symbol.
The film is filled with many memorable characters such as the prophet Sebastian & his followers (Bergmanesque hysteria), the vengeful Corisco, the bounty-hunter, das Mortes, & Manoel & his wife Rosa - and the blind minstrel Julio. I also enjoyed the sung musical narration .
The most memorable scene for me occurred early in the film: Manoel's vision of Sebastian and his followers. The rest of the film becomes a fable about disillusion, both spiritual & revolutionary. In the film, Manoel becomes entranced first by the mystic, revolutionary fervour of Sebastian, bordering on the hysteric, and then a willing accomplice in Corisco's crimes. Both Sebastian & Corisco manipulate Manuel into committing violent acts: the ritual murder of a child and the brutal emasculation of a young man. Disoriented by his experiences, Manuel can only exclaim: "Is the only way to get justice by shedding blood?"
The film is about faith, fanaticism & extremes. In a world where the government & traditional Church suppress the poor, faith and revolutionaries offer hope, but, in turn, descend into extreme behaviour. Antonio das Mortes, the agent of conservative forces, also undertakes a journey of doubt, parallels Manuel.
The story reminded me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' where the revolutionaries turn out to be as violent as the repressive government forces they fight against. 'Black God, White Devil' is probably best regarded as 'heightened cinema' akin to the 'magical realism' of Latin American literature.
I loved the setting of the austere desert, almost biblical landscape, harsh, cruel and devoid of water (spirituality, humanity). The film doesn't possess a traditional narrative, but it is basically two lengthy sequences where the lead protagonist, Manuel, and his wife, Rosa, come under the influence of a false prophet and then a psychopathic revolutionary before heading into an uncertain future where a man must listen to his own voice.
A film dominated by striking images such as the path up to Monte Santo, the massacre of the Monte Santo innocents & subversive images such as the shadow of Rosa's knife & das Mortes' gun crossing on the wall in an ironic reversal of the Communist symbol.
The film is filled with many memorable characters such as the prophet Sebastian & his followers (Bergmanesque hysteria), the vengeful Corisco, the bounty-hunter, das Mortes, & Manoel & his wife Rosa - and the blind minstrel Julio. I also enjoyed the sung musical narration .
The most memorable scene for me occurred early in the film: Manoel's vision of Sebastian and his followers. The rest of the film becomes a fable about disillusion, both spiritual & revolutionary. In the film, Manoel becomes entranced first by the mystic, revolutionary fervour of Sebastian, bordering on the hysteric, and then a willing accomplice in Corisco's crimes. Both Sebastian & Corisco manipulate Manuel into committing violent acts: the ritual murder of a child and the brutal emasculation of a young man. Disoriented by his experiences, Manuel can only exclaim: "Is the only way to get justice by shedding blood?"
The film is about faith, fanaticism & extremes. In a world where the government & traditional Church suppress the poor, faith and revolutionaries offer hope, but, in turn, descend into extreme behaviour. Antonio das Mortes, the agent of conservative forces, also undertakes a journey of doubt, parallels Manuel.
The story reminded me of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' where the revolutionaries turn out to be as violent as the repressive government forces they fight against. 'Black God, White Devil' is probably best regarded as 'heightened cinema' akin to the 'magical realism' of Latin American literature.