"Fronteira das Almas" ("Border of the Souls") treats the problematic of land reform and land distribution in a sober, real and almost poetic manner
that for a while you forget you're watching a movie.
It deals with the many obstacles faced by common, hard-working people who moved to remote ares in the
North of Brazil where the chance of having a tract of land, form a home where they can work and live with their family seemed prospect and better than the
places they lived before, which wasn't giving them anything except debts and eviction. After 1960's, with the expansion of the nation for a better contribution
to progress and widening spaces to communicate all the regions from its vast extension, the federal government provided such lands but it failed to assist
them against land grabbers and squatters who feel above the law, establishing their own laws and death could be the rule if those poor folks
didn't accept their terms or accept getting removed from there.
Hermanno Penna's film covers the story of Cassiano (Antonio Leite) who happily arrives in Rondônio, coming from a long distance but he's already to
work on the land, mostly an endless jungle, where he befriends Genésio (Orlando Vieira) and the humored and crazed Gáucho (Joel Barcellos), different in backgrounds,
work experience but equal on a common struggle. They go through many ordeals either with farming, mining, surviving in the best way they can until they
have enough to bring their families to the place. What gets in the way of their progress are the land barons, who recur to violence while claiming those
lands from the poor folks - Cassiano's brothers happens to work in one of those farms which causes a rift in the family; the difficulties faced when authorities fail to help the community and the land workers union (represented best when a frightened
lawyer comes to help the workers but he doesn't do anything except for his loud rant as the gunmen were shooting at them); and many dire finantial situations while dealing with banks and corporations.
I was quite surprised by the quality of the film and the way everything was presented. Sure, it takes some time to build up and seems a little confusing
at parts since it isn't focused on plot, it's more of a series of events that chronicles not only Cassiano's drama but also a still existing reality. But the
near documental style with relatable characters, the lack of political agenda and a great care while treating the theme was really amazing to see. And above
all, it escapes some usual routes from similar topic which is the violence. You know it's there, and you know it happens but you don't get to see much of that
and that was a brilliant effort that not only escapes the cliche, but it also heightens the tension whenever you see the workers walking around the forest
and talking about some farmer's men coming over or the police too. Everything is kept to a minimum yet it works tremendously, just as much as having big names
like Barcellos, Marcélia Cartaxo and Cláudio Mamberti in the background while the lesser known actors occupy the foreground. Believable acting all the way as they disappear in their characters.
While it didn't carry a political agenda, it certainly had its destination formed in bringing the topic of land reform and how the then restaured
democratic administration in charge would enforce it, or maybe some new regulations to be put forward in order to provide peace and stop killings. While
a film worthy of praise, not only for its topic but also quality as well, I don't think it hit its target back in Brasília and neither most audiences. If
some can say things have changed after the film or the 1988 Constitution fine, but the fight for land and freedom as never been dated or as just something
from the past. The internal exodus from people, land appropriation (going back to the natives situation) and land reform, all those discussion exists
and persists, which makes this film more valuable than ever. It goes to show that some things never change. 9/10.
