Director: João Daniel Tikhomiroff
Writer(s): Patrícia Andrade, Bráulio Tavares, João Daniel Tikhomiroff
Actor(s): Aílton Carmo, Jéssica Barbosa, Flávio Rocha, Irandhir Santos
Production Co.: Globo Filmes, Mixer, Teleimage
Country: Brazil
Year: 2009
Language: Dialogue in Portuguese, with optional English, Portuguese and Spanish subtitles
Format: DVD
[ratings]
Summary: After his failure to protect his mentor, Besouro and the others who practice the outlawed art of Capoeira continue the fight for equal rights for the Black community.
This film was pretty good at providing historical context. It also portrayed the injustice of that time and place very well as the film made me feel angry at the injustice of it all. I enjoyed the film although the fighting scenes where Besouro flies was unrealistic.
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The story itself is very intriguing and gives amazing insight into slavery in Brazil and the cultural significance of capoeira. Additionally, the cinematography is amazing. The film is so beautifully made that each scene is a piece of art.
I really enjoyed the socio-political message of this film. The action scenes were extremely well choreographed and the natural settings were absolutely breathtaking. I found the music choice sometimes surprising and disjointed but overall it was an incredible film.
I enjoyed watching the film. I found it interesting how the director chose to include fantastical elements as well as historical context, making the film not only educational but also fun to watch. I also loved the flashbacks throughout the film. The ending, which I loved, tied in perfectly with the flashbacks throughout the film. Overall, I enjoyed watching the film because of the many different elements the director chose to include.
I really enjoyed this film! I haven’t been exposed to capoeira as much, but this film did the job. The film was very informative about slavery in Brazil and the actors did a great job performing. The film evoked many emotions, but it was still worth a watch. Like Yazmine, I enjoyed the ending because it was happy ending to a sad event.
I was captivated from the first market scene of the film. The background music, along with the rhythmic clapping of those watching Besouro do capoeira, added an additional element to what the director chose to display visually. I also feel more informed on the origins of capoeira as being a way of black Brazilians to protect themselves during times of slavery. Overall, I enjoyed both the cinematography and informative elements of the film.
It’s incredible to think that an art form that was once outlawed is now a national treasure. I loved seeing all the various expressions and uses of capoeira: in play, fighting, seduction. A wonderful movie!
I really enjoyed watching Besouro. The film did a great job capturing the emotions of people who at that time were oppressed by the whites at the time. Although the film did a great job enlightening people on the influence of capoeira in Brazilian culture, it could have made a stronger statement by making the moves they showed all realistic rather than fictional (such as the giant leaps and made up characters).
The film was a little confusing to understand at first for me. However, it really portrays the historical context of the time period. The cultural aspects of the film were also expressed very well. I was able to see the combination of cultural and historical details in the Brazilian traditions. The scenes and imagery are also gorgeous and charming.
The movie was cool. It’s similar to the Kung Fu movie, Iron Monkey. It also had a little bit of everything. There was fighting, romance and historical info about Bahia, Brazil in the 1920s. I think it did a good job of presenting the tension that existed between afro brazilian workers and plantation owners and city officials at the time.
I enjoyed the film. It gave me a higher understanding of Afro Brazilian culture and the influence of Capoeira. It showed how society was structured after slavery and how Afro Brazilians were marginalized after they gained their freedom.
It was a great movie! It maintained being both entertaining while educating me on Brazil’s complicated history regarding race relations, particularly their long relationship with slavery. Learning about the history of Capoeira and its involvement in Afro Brazilian culture was interesting as well. Lots of cool fight scenes too!
^^The previous post was by Isabella C