Behind the Sun (2001)

Thanks for the memories!

Absolutely the worst movie.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

"Abril Despedacado" is one of those films that you cannot judge directly after watching. It is one of those films that needs to be developed within your mind first, chewed after, re-watched, then tackled. It is not a simple film, yet Salles makes it so. Confused? I was too after watching this film, not because of the storyline, but because of my insecurity of emotion felt towards this title. Typically, I can say – "Nope", or "Yep, loved it", but with this one it took me two viewings to fully find myself saying, "This was nearly a masterpiece". This isn't your typical Hollywood film, but neither was his original first "Central Station", this is a film with minimal players, coupled with a simple plot, yet emotion raining down from the sky like fire. It is about a family that is so caught up in tradition, that living just isn't available. Year after year, or in this iteration, months after months, two families struggling for control over land (the bickering and death has gone on for so long that the land seems so unimportant in the grand scheme) kill one another in hopes that this final blow will be the last. The crazy thing about tradition, it keeps going – and this one is not different – until now. Two brothers, workhorses, who question this tradition after one is faced with the undutiful task of killing, look outside their small box of a life to see what else is out there to life for. It is there they find something that has been missing – imagination, love, and most importantly – a life.My description above seems, and feels to me like ultimate cheese spread on a film. Why would I like this? I think the first thing that pulled me towards this sleeper foreign film was the fact that I never quite new what was going to happen next. The story was solid, when I say that I mean it was lacking the typical holes that cliché Hollywood standards. This story was so simple (yet not), that Salles was able to focus on our characters, enriching us with images of the land, the culture, and the possibilities. The fact that this is a foreign film takes us away from the hardships, makes it almost fantastical, yet keeps us grandly rooted in reality. I felt sympathy for all the characters because there was no defined evil, I wanted them to explore, go on adventures, and see opportunities that this tradition was holding them back from. I loved the character of Pacu, or "The Kid", as he read the book given to him from a circus performer. The fact that he couldn't read didn't stop him from using his imagination, bringing stories to life, and enjoying a small cusp of life that we typically take for granted. What could have been dull or trite transformed by Salles vision into pure gold. This was more than just a film, but instead a cry to anyone that may feel the pressures of work getting them down, and looking for any opportunity to escape. "Abril Despedacado" is a universal story, rooted within an obscure culture. Why did this take me two viewings to see it? I must say everything fell perfectly into place with "Abril Despedacado", nothing was missing, nothing was forgotten, and nothing was misplaced. In a year of overplayed, recycled films, this was a breath of fresh air. Our characters were strong, yet independent. I loved that Tonho wanted to leave, find a new hope, yet couldn't forget about his family, especially his younger brother. I loved the sense of family and trust that happened within a small sect of people that really had nothing in common except the word "family" and the roof over their heads. While the ending was sad, I saw it as the perfect wake up call for these two bickering families. The scenery was genuine. The music was somber. Salles, in my eyes, couldn't have perfected "Abril Despedacado" any better. I have seen some utter garbage this year, and while my eye for film is constantly changing with age, I think "Abril Despedacado" is one that families could enjoy, as well as anyone who found the courage to put this in their DVD player. I am eager to see more of what Walter Salles has to offer, really explore his style, and suggest him thoroughly to friends and family.Overall, I am very impressed with this film. It is one that could be watched again and again, and more could be discovered. It is the perfect film to enjoy on a rainy day, with a warm cup of coffee, and enjoy the beauty that Salles creates with such a poignant family drama that obviously has a date on it, but can be considered universal. Time has shown on this film, AND proved that "Abril Despedacado" is one that can sustain the test of time. Bravo Walter Salles, Bravo! Grade: **** out of *****

This film's craftsmanship is praise-worthy. It is a testament to the filmmakers' talent to visually convey their message in a graceful fashion without having to put all the burden on the dialog, voice-overs, etc. I disagree with some of the posted comments that describe how "obvious" or "overt" the symbolism is. Film-making, after all, is a visual art more than anything else, and I feel that the visuals were presented in a balanced, hardly in-your-face manner. This is the first film that I see from Mr. Salles and now I look forward to see his other work like Central Station. This movie is a must-see and I feel fortunate, because I happened to come across it by chance, picking it because I've never before seen a Portugese-language film. April Despedacado is a delight to the eye and a story to behold. It reminds us why we love to go to the cinema!

Broken April was written by albanian Ismail Kadare and tells the story of two rival families that, moved by the four-century-old rules of the Kanun, avenge the death of their own by killing the older son of the perpretator's family, in a never-ending feud until Gjorg, the older son, decides to stop this tradition once and for all, for his life's sake. Walter Salles transports this moving story to 1910's northeastern Brazil and adds to it's dark plot the colorful, stunning imagery of the brazilian badlands. Supported by flawless acting, Behind the Sun is a stunning piece of moving poetry.

Utter brilliance, the most beautiful movie I've seen since Amelie from Montmartre. How this movie is fairly unknown is a mystery to me.I cried repeatedly through the latter half of the movie. Not from the sadness in the story, but from the beauty of it. Not many movies leave such marks, me and the person I watched it with talked about it for hours after seeing it.I'm shocked to see this movie "only" got 7.5 here on IMDB. It deserves WAAY more. I would expect it to be around the 8.5 mark. 10/10 from me though, I'm blown away.