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Brazil, Portugal · 2017
1h 56m
Director Daniela Thomas
Starring Adriano Carvalho, Luana Nastas, Sandra Corveloni, Juliana Carneiro da Cunha
Genre Drama
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Antonio, a rich cattle herder, returns to his farmhouse in Brazil to find his wife died during labor. He marries his niece and they live on the property with many slaves. After Antonio leaves to move cattle, his wife is left alone with the slaves.
San Francisco Chronicle by David Lewis
Savagely lyrical, Vazante offers a harsh, impressionistic take on slavery in 19th century Brazil. And though the storytelling leans toward the opaque, the film has a sense of authenticity and power that keep it interesting.
The Hollywood Reporter by David Rooney
It's a slow-burn drama with a fairly austere attitude toward conventional exposition, dialogue and character development, which will confine it to the commercial margins. But the film is also transfixing in its formal rigor, impressive craft and striking visual beauty.
The languidly-paced picture has a staggering array of beautiful images and vistas.
When Thomas’ film does find its voice, it is as authentically immersive an experience of a harsh and loveless past as one could hope for, composed of the sensual details that can make the pleasures and horrors of 200 years ago feel like now.
Slant Magazine by Keith Watson
Daniela Thomas seems stymied by her own images, unable to extract the turmoil and violence suggested by her story for fear of upsetting the austere surface harmony of her visuals.
With the deliberate pacing and spare approach, some audiences may find Vazante and its austerity a taxing experience, particularly in its first half. But just as Virgílio awakens Beatriz, we’re drawn into both their worlds for the remainder of the movie.
The New York Times by Manohla Dargis
By the end, it’s hard not to wish that Ms. Thomas had traded a bit of her art-film drift for something more direct.
Washington Post by Michael O'Sullivan
Thomas keeps things at a simmer for the longest time, forestalling the story’s ultimate boil-over until the final minute or so of the tale.
A slow-burning drama about slavery in all its forms, this austere, visually striking film combines a harrowing period of Brazilian history with devastating accuracy of emotion.
Screen International by Wendy Ide
Although the sparse dialogue and gradual build requires an investment on the part of the audience, this is an accomplished work.
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