If compared with the archive documentary made by Ana Carolina in 1974, this one made by TV Senado is slightly better with the information
provided on president Getúlio Vargas with countless talking heads who knew the man or studied him greatly. In less than 2 hours, the viewer will
get to know a lot about the controversial politician/statesman who led Brazil for nearly 20 years in two significant periods of the nation's
history (15 years as a dictator, and later four more years as an elected man of the people). Good documentaries about Vargas, but I still haven't
found the complete project this man certainly deserved.
Made during the 50th anniversary of Vargas suicide, the film presents several remarkable moments of his political life, before taking
over the power from Washington Luis in 1930, the countless programs and laws implemented during his terms, and the whole popularity he had
with the poor. And there's also some anedoctes about the man, as a person, as revealed by workers of his farms and houses, who show him as a
very spirituous man, very considered of the people who worked for him.
But if there's some enlightning moments (or a little defensive as well) comes to some facts shared about his support of Allied forces
during WWII - the U. S. of Roosevelt helped Brazil to develop the Volta Redonda power plant, and they made a military regime to control the
Northeast area which was attacked by Nazi U-boats; and one key person reveals the controversy revolving communist leader Olga Benário Prestes
deportation to the Nazi Germany while pregnant, and it's said here that Vargas wasn't the one who signed such act against his rival Luis Carlos
Prestes - it was done by a minister of his, and he had no actual involvement with it, even though the history books and stories claim that he
had some involvement. Also presented with a great care and detail are the informations related with his final days at the Catete Palace where he
commited suicide on 24 August, 1954. We're allowed to enter the palace, now a museum, and see the objects of his room, as a narrator reads
excerpts of his suicide note, now regarded as an important historical speech.
It's difficult to summarize a man of his legacy and magnificiency with something like that, there's always something missing. The little
objection I had with it was with the excess of talking heads and countless people appearing all the time and a lack of archive images of Vargas,
his famous speeches that made him a figure of reference. It gets a little tiring seeing the people over and over, and so little about the man,
which doesn't help much those who are trying to learn about him. But on the other hands, with each pinpointed fact about Getúlio and his long
political career, one can truly attest why the Vargas Era was one of the most important and one of the most divisive in Brazil history. Without it,
the story would be completely different and for the worse, I suspect. 7/10.
