Overview
A gripping tale of revenge and duty unfolds in the Brazilian badlands, where a young man's life hangs in the balance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- fatalistic
- poetic
- quiet evening
- arthouse cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as visually poetic and powerful in its depiction of cyclical violence, while finding its overall execution generally favorable rather than uniformly acclaimed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tonho is compelled by his father to avenge his older brother, continuing an established feud between two families.
The vast Brazilian sertão dominates the imagery and gives the family feud an almost legendary scale.
Pacu urges Tonho to resist the ancestral duty that defines the family's future.
The arrival of a tiny traveling circus creates a sharp contrast with the family's enclosed cycle of revenge.
Films like Behind the Sun, and why
The Year of the Hare
shares a stark rural setting, inherited violence, poetic visual language, and themes of family honor
The Proposition
shares cyclical revenge, fatalistic family conflict, and austere historical drama
The Secret of Roan Inish
shares lyrical cinematography, oppressive social tradition, and a young protagonist seeking escape
Central Station
shares Brazilian rural drama, class-bound family tensions, and restrained emotional intensity
Movie Details
- Director
- Walter Salles
- Release Date
- 2001-12-12
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (135)
Cast
- Rodrigo Santoro
- José Dumont
- Rita Assemany
- Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos
- Ravi Ramos Lacerda
- Flavia Marco Antonio
- Everaldo Pontes
- Caio Junqueira
- Wagner Moura
- Othon Bastos
Common questions
- What is Behind the Sun about?
- In Brazil's parched sertão, a young man caught between blood duty and the possibility of freedom confronts a family feud designed to perpetuate itself.
- What is Behind the Sun like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Behind the Sun as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Behind the Sun violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Behind the Sun as moderate.
- What did critics think of Behind the Sun?
- Critics broadly praised the film as visually poetic and powerful in its depiction of cyclical violence, while finding its overall execution generally favorable rather than uniformly acclaimed.
- Which films are like Behind the Sun?
- Films with a similar feel include The Year of the Hare, The Proposition, The Secret of Roan Inish, and Central Station.
- How long is Behind the Sun?
- Behind the Sun runs 95 minutes.
