Antonio das Mortes
An aging cangaceiro hunter rediscovers purpose when an idealistic rebel forces him to question the violent order he once served.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- didactic
- theatrical
- sardonic
- arthouse film night
- brazilian cinema retrospective
What critics said
Critics and cultural institutions recognized the film as a formally daring and politically charged Cinema Novo western, highlighted by Glauber Rocha's Cannes-winning direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Antônio das Mortes, Coirana, and the cangaceiro tradition operate as symbolic figures in a conflict over social order and liberation.
Glauber Rocha transforms the Brazilian western into a didactic, heightened critique of landlord power and poverty.
The aging killer's renewed purpose in hunting Coirana gradually shifts as he recognizes the rebel's idealism and followers' desperation.
The film's candid, didactic, and affective presentation frames its rural conflict as an almost ritualized public drama.
Films like Antonio das Mortes, and why
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
political western, allegorical class conflict, and radical national cinema tradition
The Wild Bunch
stylized western mythology, revolutionary violence, and tragic moral transformation
The Battle of Algiers
political allegory, theatrical formalism, and militant engagement with social injustice
Black God, White Devil
cinema novo aesthetics, rural oppression, and revolutionary idealism
Movie Details
- Director
- Glauber Rocha
- Release Date
- 1969-06-14
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (94)
Cast
- Maurício do Valle
- Odete Lara
- Othon Bastos
- Jofre Soares
- Lorival Pariz
- Hugo Carvana
- Rosa Maria Penna
- Emmanuel Cavalcanti
- Conceição Senna
- Mário Gusmão
Common questions
- What is Antonio das Mortes about?
- An aging cangaceiro hunter rediscovers purpose when an idealistic rebel forces him to question the violent order he once served.
- What is Antonio das Mortes like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Antonio das Mortes as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Antonio das Mortes violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Antonio das Mortes as brutal.
- What did critics think of Antonio das Mortes?
- Critics and cultural institutions recognized the film as a formally daring and politically charged Cinema Novo western, highlighted by Glauber Rocha's Cannes-winning direction.
- Which films are like Antonio das Mortes?
- Films with a similar feel include The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Wild Bunch, The Battle of Algiers, and Black God, White Devil.
- How long is Antonio das Mortes?
- Antonio das Mortes runs 100 minutes.
