It is a film based on the conflict between the state of Brazil and a group of settlers (estimated in 6000) who had established their own community in the Northeastern state of Bahia, named Canudos. There were many attempts to suppress that rebellion by the military and they were unsuccessful; the result was a tragic end that saw a devastating killing of almost 6000 miserable people who abode that village, this being the deadliest massacre in Brazil to this day. Antônio Conselheiro was a mystic spiritual preacher of those days and he peregrinated those lands preaching a doctrine, building and reforming churches through many cities and valleys around. He was very unsatisfied with the so called New Republic installed in Brazil in Deodoro da Fonseca's government. Conselheiro used to wander through villages and cities in many states in the northeast of Brazil and in 1893 he decided to put down roots in a place called Canudos, interior of the state of Bahia. Because of his announcing promises of better future and opposing strongly against the state's New Republic thousands of new residents were attracted to that area and he soon gathered around 6000 people. The film Guerra de Canudos is a well made film that portrays Conselheiro from the beginning of his journeys to his fateful end by the military who were enraged by their strong endurance. Good performances by actors Paulo Betti as Zé Lucena, José Wilker as Antonio Conselheiro and an outstanding performance by Cláudia Abreu as Luiza.
