Baptism of Blood (film)

Baptism of Blood
Baptism of Blood
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Helvécio Ratton
Written by	Dani Patarra; Helvécio Ratton
Based on	Batismo de Sangue by Frei Betto
Produced by	Helvécio Ratton
Starring	Caio Blat; Daniel de Oliveira; Cássio Gabus Mendes; Ângelo Antônio
Cinematography	Lauro Escorel
Edited by	Mair Tavares
Music by	Marco Antônio Guimarães
Production; company	Quimera Filmes
Distributed by	RioFilme
Release dates	2006 (Festival de Brasília); April 20, 2007 (theatrical release);
Running time	94 minutes
Country	Brazil
Language	Portuguese
Budget	R$5 million
Box office	R$402,345

Baptism of Blood (Portuguese: Batismo de Sangue) is a 2006 Brazilian film directed by Helvécio Ratton, based on Frei Betto's book of the same name.^[1]^[4] Starring Caio Blat and Daniel de Oliveira as Frei Tito and Betto respectively, it follows the Dominican friars' resistance against Brazilian military dictatorship.

Plot

In 1968, the Dominican friars of São Paulo became part of the resistance against the military dictatorship in Brazil. Under the pseudonyms of "Tito", "Betto", "Oswaldo", "Fernando", and "Ivo", the friars join the Ação Libertadora Nacional, a communist guerrilla movement headed by Carlos Marighella. The friars' superior, Diogo, recommends them to be more careful, and they decide to disperse themselves.

Ivo and Fernando go to Rio de Janeiro but are intercepted and tortured by officers who accuse them for betraying the Church and Brazil. The officers ask about the place where they receive calls from their leader, and eventually they reveal it. After intercepting a conversation, the police headed by Sérgio Paranhos Fleury discover where Marighella will be and kill him. Meanwhile, Betto is captured in Rio Grande do Sul, and is arrested at the penitentiary Tiradentes in São Paulo along with the other friars.

The friars are later judged and sentenced to four years of imprisonment. Tito is the only who is released in exchange for the West German ambassador in Brazil, Ehrenfried von Holleben, being exiled in France. He is psychologically shaken by the fact that he was tortured, and also because his attempt of suicide during the torture sessions was labeled as a coward act by Fleury. In 1974, he commits suicide in Éveux.

Cast

Caio Blat as Frei Tito
Daniel de Oliveira as Frei Betto
Cássio Gabus Mendes as Sérgio Paranhos Fleury
Ângelo Antônio as Frei Oswaldo
Léo Quintão as Frei Fernando
Odilon Esteves as Frei Ivo
Marku Ribas as Carlos Marighella
Marcélia Cartaxo as Nildes
Murilo Grossi as Raul Careca
Jorge Emil as Frei Diogo

Production

Most of scenes of Baptism of Blood were shot in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais that simulated São Paulo.^[2]^[5] The friars' imprisonment was filmed in Rio de Janeiro, while Tito's exile was shot in France.^[5] Differently from other films about the period, the director wanted the torture scenes to be not be merely illustrative.^[5] The scenes were reimagined, and Ratton said "or [I would] do something shocking, as is the story, or [I] would not do the film."^[2] The friars Betto, Fernando, and Ivo did a lecture about the 1960s Brazil and student activism to the cast.^[2]^[6]

Reception

It was first screened at the 39th Festival de Brasília, where it won the Best Director and Best Cinematography awards.^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b Arantes, Silvana (April 20, 2007). ""Chega de verdade pela metade", diz Ratton". Folha de S.Paulo (in Portuguese). Grupo Folha. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Bate-papo UOL: Helvécio Ratton conta como foi filmar o longa "Batismo de Sangue"" (in Portuguese). Universo Online. April 19, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
^ "Filmes Brasileiros Lançados - 1995 a 2013" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Ancine. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
^ "Baptism of Blood". Palm Springs International Film Festival. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c "TV Brasil apresenta Batismo de sangue" (in Portuguese). Empresa Brasil de Comunicação. September 13, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
^ "Frei Betto". IstoÉ Gente (in Portuguese). Editora Três. April 23, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
^ Viana, Humberto (November 28, 2006). ""Baixio das Bestas" é o grande premiado do Festival de Brasília". G1 (in Portuguese). Organizações Globo. Retrieved April 14, 2014.

External links

Baptism of Blood at IMDb

[folha-1] Arantes, Silvana (April 20, 2007). ""Chega de verdade pela metade", diz Ratton". Folha de S.Paulo (in Portuguese). Grupo Folha. Retrieved April 14, 2014.

[uol-2] "Bate-papo UOL: Helvécio Ratton conta como foi filmar o longa "Batismo de Sangue"" (in Portuguese). Universo Online. April 19, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

[3] "Filmes Brasileiros Lançados - 1995 a 2013" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Ancine. p. 22. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

[4] "Baptism of Blood". Palm Springs International Film Festival. Retrieved April 14, 2014.

[ebc-5] "TV Brasil apresenta Batismo de sangue" (in Portuguese). Empresa Brasil de Comunicação. September 13, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

[6] "Frei Betto". IstoÉ Gente (in Portuguese). Editora Três. April 23, 2007. Retrieved June 17, 2014.

[7] Viana, Humberto (November 28, 2006). ""Baixio das Bestas" é o grande premiado do Festival de Brasília". G1 (in Portuguese). Organizações Globo. Retrieved April 14, 2014.

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