Directed by Nelson Pereira dos Santos and starring Átila Iório (Fabiano) and Maria Ribeiro (Sinhá Vitória).
A film from the first phase of Cinema Novo, it is part of the sertão trilogy, along with Os Fuzis, by Ruy Guerra, and Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol, by Glauber Rocha.
Adapted from the book of Graciliano Ramos by Nelson Pereira dos Santos.
Shot in black and white, with purposefully saturated lighting, it was filmed entirely away from the studios, in the Alagoas cities of Minador do Negrão and Palmeira dos Índios. The pollution of these cities is thanked in the opening credits of the film. The open plans give the dimension of the drought that devastated the sertão.
The plot takes place between the years 1940 and 1942, when we follow Fabiano, Sinhá Vitória, their two small children and the dog Baleia wandering through the dry hinterland looking for food, a place to live and work. They find a wattle and daub house, where they settle, with Fabiano working for the farmer who owns the land, as a cowboy. The couple's misery is so great that Vitória's dream is to have a leather bed like her old boss's, as they sleep on a pallet made with tree trunks, without a mattress. Fabiano doesn't know how to read or write, he earns little and still spends this little on card games. When the drought hits, with no prospect of rain, the farmer takes the cattle to other places, dispensing with Fabiano's work. The saga of looking for a new place will be faced again by the family, leaving, on foot, in search of their dreams.
It's impressive how the chauvinism of the time the film was shot, and even in the time the plot takes place, is portrayed in the story. One scene impressed me a lot in this regard: Vitória went to fetch water from a stream that was almost dry, filled a huge ceramic container with very muddy water, and carried it home on her head. Upon arriving, Fabiano has an argument with her about his gambling, ending up saying that he works to earn money and she doesn't. And what the woman does most is working in the house, taking care of the children, making food, fetching water, taking care of the bills. Another scene that demonstrates how society lived in country side of Brazil is when it shows the contrast between the regulars at the bar, all men, and at the church, women praying, while the men stood at the entrance door. It clearly marks the boundaries of each gender in society. Before anyone thinks, this is a statement, but by no means am I canceling the film. It is very important for Brazilian cinematography. I really like this movie.
Finally, the performance of the dog Baleia should always be highlighted, a masterpiece, especially in a scene of pure emotion when her fate is sealed by Fabiano.
Even with saturated lighting, the photograph of the film's final scene conveys sadness and beauty at the same time.
