"Filme Demência" is a curious, intriguing and crazed transposition of Goethe's "Faust" told in modern times and with some touches of inspiring
moments. Our lead character Fausto (Ênio Gonçalves) is a disgraced cigarette factory owner who loses everything, gets abandoned by his wife and spends
night and day walking around the strets of São Paulo, armed with a stolen gun, encountering acquaintances, strangers and random people while trying to
solve the mystery behind strange visions of a young girl and a beautiful beach that seems to haunt him from time to time. For reasons unknown to viewers
Fausto must find this girl and this place.
I don't see much relation with the story of Faust except for the sudden appearances of Mephisto (Emilio de Biasi) who shows help to Fausto
trying to help with his plans but the creature fails to impress him. We don't have the chance to see the diabolical creature challenging the angel of
God in capturing the man's soul, as presented in the classic film by F. W. Murnau. Through the majority of time, Fausto only seems to be losing his soul
while killing a lunatic who shot a teacher at a symbolism course or shooting a bandit who tried to rob him after spending the night with a prostitute, and
making the robber's accomplice exit the building through the window of which he keeps on hanging several stores above. In other times, it's a dull
meeting with a friend, of whom he saves from going to jail for molesting a hustler; or giving a lift to an old lady and an annoying young hitchhiker who
falls in love with him - like most of the women in the movie, they all fall for him but he's only interesting in his mission of finding the girl and
finding the beach.
In essence, the film follows that ideal that only when we lose everything that we are able to follow our true inner self, to discover new
things or maybe go forward to what real life purpose can be, whatever it is. It's only when we lost everything that we are free to do whatever we want.
But with his random actions, Fausto doesn't seem to be the kind of guy
who has nothing to lose: after all, he could be arrested, killed, robbed, anything or even fall into Mephisto's commands and lose his own soul - if he
has one to lose since we don't know much about him before his journey begins. All we know is that he's trying to discover himself, trying to get rid
off of his past - of which he's constantly compared with his successful father; his greedy business associates; and maybe find some good connection with
friends from his youth.
I was deeply dazzled by the mystery, enjoyed the lead actor's performance but I was hoping for a more meaningful connection with Faust, the
original work. When the movie gave us the conclusion and solved almost everything we needed to know, I was slightly disappointed and I thought the movie
had ended way before a more significant ending could be provided. It made it all too easy after all the crazy journey we've been through. But it was
good anyway despite some pretentious moments here and there that doesn't add to anything.
Carlos Reichenbach films everything with excellence, providing amazing images of São Paulo as a crazed city that never sleeps and with lots
of dangers around the corner, the kind of environment where Fausto can lose himself in the crowd and luckily nothing can happen to him. He becomes
another surviving creature of this weird environment and he can manage to play by their despicable rules, becoming a threat to others and himself each
moment goes by. Surprisingly good and quite reflective about the human nature and the quests some of us have in our lives and how we conquer them despite
all the odds against. 8/10.
