Corisco, O Diabo Loiro

Underrated film about the real story of Cangaceiro bandits Corisco, Dadá, and the whole band led by Lampião. Extraordinary director Carlos Coimbra, skilled casting, a script that is well grounded in actual facts, quite nice cinematography and sound, and appropriate music score make this movie a major achievement which deserved more attention and a film restoration. It does not romanticizes either Cangaceiros or the Volante specialized police that fought them, portraying the vicious activities of both sides, and the brutal culture of Northeastern Brazilian hinterlands in the 1920's and 1930's where women and poor people suffered a lot, being helpless and vulnerable. However, despite able to make quite cruel deeds, Cangaceiros were not devils, but human beings, with problems, feelings, needs, and this good movie also shows it well.