Black God, White Devil (1964)★ 7.3/10

An icon of Brazil’s Cinema Novo movement, the harsh landscapes of the country’s northeastern highlands somewhat resemble those depicted in American Westerns. Glauber Rocha, like Nelson Pereira dos Santos, focuses on oppressed farmers and landless laborers, though Rocha weaves in myth, folklore, and political allegory to create something more layered and experimental.

The composer of the film, Sérgio Ricardo, went on to make several feature films on his own in the '70s. One of which is called The Night of the Scarecrow, and in my opinion is better than this apparently much more well known classic. The musical vibe in both are very, very similar, and there's similarities with regards to the themes of class struggle, poverty and exploitation, religion and cult, and masculine showdowns that won't end well. Yet that one is lot more bonkers with much crazier camera movements and easier to follow narrative. This one pans slowly and is riddled with symbolism.