Much is said that Brazil has not properly dealt with the memories of its period under military rule. Unlike so many countries that were also under repressive regimes (including our neighbors Argentina and Uruguay), Brazil seemed to simply turn the page, now closing its eyes to the painful events of the past, now looking longingly at a period that so many would like to forget. .
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A clear reflection of our “negligence” with the memories of a dictatorial period is in culture. Although we have obvious exceptions of classic works portraying the so-called “lead years” of the dictatorship that settled in the country, the subject received less and less attention in the years after redemocratization. It was as if Brazil preferred to close its eyes to its past, perhaps believing that it had been less repressive than other dictatorial periods around the world.
However, the recent political conjectures that afflicted (and still afflict) the country seem to have brought the issue back to the fore, almost as if the notion had been awakened that there was still a shadow behind us, something that threatened to return to terrify us again. . The Shepherd and the Guerrilla (2023), from José Eduardo Belmonte, is the most recent of the films of this new crop to portray the horrors of this dark period in Brazilian history.
The film splits into two distinct timelines. One of them, which takes place in the late 60s, follows the young communist militant John (Johnny Massaro), who leaves the university to join the guerrillas in Araguaia. Captured by the military, he starts sharing a cell with Zacchaeus (Cesar Mello), an evangelical Christian mistakenly arrested. During the time they are together, Zacchaeus helps John to resist the tortures to which he is subjected by Colonel Cruz (Ricardo Gelli), as well as putting their beliefs and ideologies into perspective. When the evangelical is about to be released, they decide to arrange a reunion for the turn of the millennium.
The other timeline takes place in the last days of 1999, and follows Juliana (Julia Dalávia), a young university student and activist for egalitarian agendas. She discovers that she is the daughter of Colonel Cruz, who had committed suicide and left his daughter an inheritance. Torn between accepting the benefit or not, she ends up learning the story of João and Zaqueu through a book found in the colonel's house and which would have been written by the guerrilla. Meanwhile, Zaqueu, now a pastor, is uncomfortable with the new times, fearing that the evangelical faith is being commodified through the ideas that are brought to him by his children. He tries to run away from the past, but discovers that this is not possible, and decides to attend the meeting with João.
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The film does what it sets out to do by representing the horrors of the dictatorship and its effects on the lives of those who were its victims (even if they survived to tell their stories). As previously mentioned, Brazil still needs to face the wounds and scars of its dictatorial period in a broader way. After all, those who do not recognize the mistakes of the past can repeat them in the future. And perhaps this is one of the great sub-themes of the film. There is a clear message that it is not possible to run away from the past, something seen mainly when we follow the aged Zacchaeus from 1999. Furthermore, Juliana's activist character makes it clear that there is still much to fight for, including making peace with her own history.
The choice between switching between the two timelines may have proved to be a challenge for the director, as certain cuts from the past to the (almost) present don't work so well. In addition, in some moments, a trace of theatrical language is perceptible in the film, quite expository and bordering on the stereotype (such as the Araguaia guerrillas who constantly refer to each other as “companions and who sing the Socialist International during their nights at camp).
The cast shows a lot of commitment to their work, being particularly worthy of mention Johnny Massaro (John) and Cesar Mello (interpreting Zacchaeus in youth and old age). Cassia Kis (who plays Juliana's sick grandmother) and Ricardo Gelli (O Colonel Cruz) are also worth mentioning. In addition, the film had the last participation of the late Sérgio Mamberti.
The Shepherd and the Guerrilla opens on April 13 nationwide.
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