Given that Glauber Rocha is considered one of the most important filmmakers in the history of Brazilian cinema — and Latin American cinema in general — it’s surprising that it took this long for one of his films to be released by the Criterion Collection. The filmmaker’s sophomore feature, Black God, White Devil, one of his most acclaimed works, takes the honor of being his first movie to get the Criterion treatment. Black God, White Devil is considered one of the most influential films of the Cinema Novo movement, which happened in Brazilian cinema as a reaction to other social filmmaking movements like Italian neorealism and the French New Wave. In Criterion’s recent quest to expand the label’s Latin American cinema offerings — Victims of Sin and Soy Cuba are notable recent releases — the Cinema Novo movement marks a necessary addition.
The Western follows a Brazilian ranch hand who, after killing his oppressive boss, goes on the run with his wife, leading them to a group of bandits and a messianic figure who preaches violence and revolt. Like many Latin American films of the era, Black God, White Devil is focused heavily on socioeconomic issues.
Rocha’s exploration of themes like authoritarianism and indoctrination is certainly still relevant today, but his attempts to balance myth and reality are not always effective. It’s a fascinating premise that seems ripe for social commentary, but unfortunately, it doesn’t always result in a compelling experience.
Indeed, the most frustrating aspect of Black God, White Devil is its unfocused tone. For the most part, the movie falls into that Cinema Novo style of neorealist filmmaking, approaching its themes with stark violence. However, some sequences fall back into the exuberance of classical Brazilian cinema — take the swordfights, for example, which have such exaggerated theatricalism that they undermine any emotional undercurrent in the scenes.
It’s a shame Black God, White Devil isn’t able to strike this balance, as the more dramatic moments are legitimately strong. Lidio Silva gives a genuinely chilling performance in his role as the charismatic but radical cult leader, while Geraldo Del Rey is heartbreaking as the lead and the audience’s lens into the conflict. At two hours long, Rocha’s film could have spared to cut some of this fluff to focus on these core emotional beats.
Video
Black God, White Devil is presented in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio with stunning black-and-white cinematography. Although the movie was recently restored in 4K, Criterion is only releasing it on Blu-Ray and DVD — there is no UHD edition. However, this restoration still looks incredible even on the Blu-Ray format, thanks to the imagery that is so stunningly constructed by cinematographer Waldemar Lima.
Audio
The Blu-Ray edition of Black God, White Devil boasts an uncompressed monaural soundtrack. Although the film’s audio sounds quite good on this release, it’s not a particularly flashy movie in this department. The viewers’ focus will instead be primarily on the visuals.
Special Features
Considering that it contains a second disc with two feature-length documentaries about the filmmaker and the movement he worked in, the Criterion Collection edition of Black God, White Devil is one of the most extensive releases the boutique label has put out in recent memory. It’s also quite affordable, boasting the typical MSRP of $39.99 for Blu-Ray and $29.99 for DVD, as opposed to the price of recent multipacks, despite offering several feature-length offerings. For anyone interested in the history of Latin American cinema, these bonus features alone make this a worthy purchase.
New interview with film scholar Richard Peña (22:29): Film scholar Richard Peña discusses the Cinema Novo movement and the role that Black God, White Devil played in Brazilian film history.
Glauber the Movie, Labyrinth of Brazil (80 minutes): A documentary about the career of director Glauber Rocha, featuring extensive interviews with some of his friends and colleagues.
Cinema Novo (90 minutes): An essay film exploring the Cinema Novo movement, with a section focusing on the work of Glauber Rocha.
Final Thoughts:
Although the movie itself is slightly underwhelming, its importance to the history of Latin American cinema, along with the wealth of riches this edition offers, makes the Criterion Collection edition of Black God, White Devil a worthy pickup for devoted cinephiles. Hopefully, the label will continue this trend of showcasing films and creators important to underrepresented cultures like this.
The Criterion Collection edition of Black God, White Devil is available beginning July 16.
