The first film in Brazil to be directed by a black woman ever. Besides that, it is a court film that, through a biased judgement, emphasizes important issues such as homophobia, misogyny, moral hypocrisy, religiousness over secular state. Importantly, those were taboos, and that made it unable to raise public financing and only very few movie theaters accepted to release the film. Therefore, although not everything is very well made in this low budget movies, its qualities certainly overcome its problems. One actor, particularly, has a fantastic performance in a supporting role: Emiliano Queiroz as pastor Daniel Oliveira, Sueli's abusive father. By the way, Wilma Dias has very sexy flashback scenes.
2 Reviews
Pioneering movie
muriloogps13 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Adélia Sampaio, first Brazilian black woman to direct a feature film, debuted with Amor Maldito ("Damned Love") in 1984. The movie starts with Sueli's suicide from Fernanda's apartment window. As the story unravels, we learn that they were actually lovers in a very tumultuous relationship and the entirety of the movie shows the trial which will judge whether Fernanda killed Sueli or not.
The movie is better than almost every other old Brazilian movie I have seen despite the clearly low budget. Posing questions of morality and virtue in society and how our perception of others can be distorted by our own vices and prejudices.
I think the movie would be infinitely superior if the director had left out the initial scene, which shows Sueli committing suicide without a shred of doubt and Fernanda sleeping. If the whole trial had taken place without us, the audience, knowing whether it was a suicide or not, it would have made our experience much more captivating and intriguing.
The movie is better than almost every other old Brazilian movie I have seen despite the clearly low budget. Posing questions of morality and virtue in society and how our perception of others can be distorted by our own vices and prejudices.
I think the movie would be infinitely superior if the director had left out the initial scene, which shows Sueli committing suicide without a shred of doubt and Fernanda sleeping. If the whole trial had taken place without us, the audience, knowing whether it was a suicide or not, it would have made our experience much more captivating and intriguing.
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