They were musical comedies with elements of crime and science fiction but were never critical darlings. Chanchadas had their heyday between the 1930s and 50s. Rio, Zona Norte particularly goes after the chanchada, a film genre native to Brazil. And he was still not done taking down the institutions of Brazilian society and cinema. Espirito begins as a hopeful samba star and ends up bogged down by the corrupt and racist world of Brazil’s elite musicians.Īfter the critical success of Rio, 40 Graus, director Nelson Pereira dos Santos was one of the most interesting filmmakers to look out for in Brazil.
Set in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, the film is told through a series of flashbacks after Espirito, a talented Black samba writer suffers a fatal injury after falling from a train. Rio, Zona Norte (1957) is a sort of spiritual sequel to Rio, 40 Graus. Para la versión en español, cliquea aquí Synopsis
