User Reviews

Review this title
1 Review
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
7/10
The Oldest Brazilian Spoken Movie Preserved in the Present Days
claudio_carvalho26 November 2005
Two rascals' managers try to sell the show of their company to a casino. When the international company has a problem to arrive in Brazil for a season in the casino, they are hired by the manager of the casino, but the show does not work well and they have to runaway.

"Alô, Alô, Brasil" is the oldest Brazilian spoken movie preserved in the present days. The practically inexistent story is very simple, and the movie is basically supported by twenty-two presentations of the popular Brazilian radio phonic singers along 78 minutes running time and some gags. In the period of 1930 to 1948, Brazil did not have technical and technological resources (suitable equipment, mixing table etc.), and the shootings were made in a static and fixed plane to avoid noise. The movements of the camera were made only in silent scenes. This musical is a classic, since all the important Brazilian singers of the 30s, with exception of Noel Rosa, participate of this movie. "Alô, Alô, Brasil" was shot also in locations and not only in studios, which was very daring for that period, based on the lack of technology in Brazil and the need of absolute silence. The movie is popular and target audience is the lower classes. Most of the songs have malicious lyrics for the moral standards of 1935. The cubist and surrealistic panels were used to hide the microphone with limited range. There are hidden and metaphoric messages, like for example, the use of a Brazilian company as the substitute for an international one, a clear message about the need to support the Brazilian cinema in that moment. The managers are small time crooks and vagabonds, and that was the image of the artistic class in those times. The story is very naive, the songs are dated, but my vote is seven due to the importance of this movie to Brazilian culture.

Title (Brazil): "Alô, Alô, Brasil" (Hello, Hello, Brazil")
7 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed