Bacurau Review (3/31/2020)

In 2019, when Bacurau premiered at film festivals, it was part of a large swath of foreign films - including such titles as Parasite and Les Miserables - that critics claimed "depicted the world on the brink of revolt." In 2020, this is closer than ever, with a pandemic sweeping the United States and exposing the innate cruelty of its late capitalist oligarchy, and society on the verge of collapse as 6.6 million people file for unemployment and the stock markets have reached frightening lows. More and more people are waking up to the fact that we need to make a change and we need to do it now.

Bacurau isn't a direct commentary on United States society or politics. Being a Brazilian film, it's far more concerned with issues ongoing in its own country, and understandably so. But at its heart is a fiery rage that can only be found at the heart of rebellion, and it's ultimate message is a clear one that can resonate with just about anyone.

It's not the easiest film to get into, however. The first hour or so is fairly dry, and it can be a big of a chore to get through. It's not that nothing happens, but most of it is set up as you get to know the villagers of the town of Bacurau, the kinds of lives they have, and the mystery that is beginning to plague them. It's all essential stuff that the final half couldn't exist without, but personally I found it a bit dry.

When the second half arrives, however, it's a treat to watch. I don't want to spoil anything because this is a movie that is best viewed blind (unfortunately, I had quite a lot of it spoiled for me). But it soon devolves into a tense, bloody battle royale neo-Western that shakes the senses and provokes thought. The violence when it comes is brutal and unflinching, yet it does not revel in it. As the characters get picked off one by one, it does a great job of keeping you on the edge of your seat awaiting what will happen next.

I feel like Bacurau's biggest weakness, however, is in its characters. There are a few that are legitimately interesting, but I never truly connected with a lot of them. I'm wondering how much of this is intentional, as its ensemble cast allows the community to look and function as one larger entity rather than a number of individuals, and this is a large part of the message it's trying to convey. At the same time, however, I really think it would have been more engaging if they had paid just a little bit more attention to some of the individual characters, so that when we saw them in danger we could feel the stakes even more.

Overall, despite some imperfections, Bacurau is an important piece of contemporary foreign cinema. Its nuanced and twisted plotline provides suspense and biting social commentary, but none of it detracts from the very simple, very important core message; we as the citizens of this world need to band together and stand up to our oppressors - or we will die.