São Bernardo (1972) - full transcript
The story of Paulo Honório, a poor kid who becomes a rich farmer. Obsessed by his desire to get even richer, he doesn't pay much attention to his wife, Madalena, a teacher who reacts against his tyrannical ways.
LEON HIRSZMAN PROJECT
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S. BERNARDO
To continue.
I want to tell my story.
It's difficult.
I might omit superfluous
details...
that seem indispensable.
Also, being used to deal
with peasants,
I might not trust the
reader's understanding...
and repeat insignificant
events.
Besides, none of this is
ordered, as can be seen.
It doesn't matter.
The half-breeds around
me say...
all roads lead to a pub.
My aim in life was to get
the lands of S?o Bernardo.
To build this house,
to grow cotton,
castor oil plants, to build a
saw-mill and a cotton-gin.
To introduce pomiculture and
aviculture in this wilderness.
Get a regular stock of cattle.
All this sounds easy...
after it's done.
But if you
look around and...
don't know where
to begin...
the difficulties are terrible.
If I tried to tell you
about my childhood
I'd have to lie.
I was just knocking about,
I suppose.
I remember a blind man
who pulled my ears
and old Margarida
who sold sweets.
The blind man is gone.
Old Margarida lives here
in S?o Bernardo...
in a clean little house.
Nobody bothers her.
When I turned 18 I had
worn out many hoes
getting 5 cents for
12 hours of labor.
Then I did my first
memorable act.
During a watch that turned
free-for-all
I grabbed Germana, quite
a juice morsel,
and gave her a big pinch
on her rounded bum.
She liked it so much
she piddled.
But then she took off and
hitched up with Jo?o Fagundes.
As a result of that
I boxed Germana's ear
and slipped my knife into
Jo?o Fagundes.
So I was arrested.
I got a sound spanking
and all that
and was put away for 3 years
9 months and 15 days.
In jail, Joaquim Cobbler
taught me to read
from a small Protestant bible.
Joaquim Cobbler died.
Germana went bad.
When I got out,
she was a cheap whore
- and a sick one.
By then I didn't think of
her any more...
I thought about making money.
I got registered as a voter.
And Mr. Pereira, loan-shark
and big wheel in politics,
lend me 10O Mil Reis at
5% interest per month.
I paid him back and got 20O with
the interest reduced to 3%.
It didn't get less than that.
I learned arithmetic in order not
to be robbed more than convenient.
At first, money ran away
from me.
I restlessly hunted it,
traveling the wilderness.
Trading in hammocks, cattle,
hole statues and rosaries...
small things, here making
money, there losing it...
working with borrowed money,
signing promissory notes.
Highly complicated transactions.
I went hungry and thirsty,
slept in dry river beds...
quarreled with people
who talk shouting...
some deals were wound up,
cocked guns in hand.
What do you mean, justice?
There's no such thing!
You have no religion! You
must pay the 30 Contos.
And 6 months interest!
Pay, or I'll skin you slowly!
I decided to settle here,
in Vi?osa, Alagoas.
And I planned to buy the
farm S?o Bernardo
where I used to work for
5 cents a day.
Without letting on I went
to see Luis Padilha,
the owner of S?o Bernardo.
Excuse me.
Why don't you work S?o Bernardo?
Perdon?
With tractors, ploughs,
decent agriculture.
You never thought of that?
How much you think this will
yield, worked as it should?
It's horrible, Mr. Paulo.
A disgrace.
Ploughs.
There's nothing like ploughs.
I've thought of ploughs.
A manioc plantation.
A modern flour mill.
Money.
If I only had money!
This Pereira is an idiot,
an idiot!
I made a minute exposition...
demonstrating that it'd
be a great business.
He understood nothing!
The idiot!
There's nobody to understand
anything here, Mr. Paulo!
This land is poor.
Here you find only
politics and shamelessness.
Mr. Paulo...
maybe this del interests you.
20 Contos.
I need 20 Contos.
Padilha...
did you ever make a cigarette?
It's easier to by them
ready made.
But it's more expensive.
If you had made one,
you'd know it's more difficult
to make a thousand.
Now, it's more difficult
to earn 10 Cents
than to make a cigarette.
One Conto of Reis
is worth a thousand
bill of 10 Cents.
20 Contos of Reis...
are worth 20,000 bills
of 10 Cents.
You seem to ignore that.
You say 20 Contos...
as if you meant just
dirty paper!
- Money is money!
- I can count, Mr. Paulo.
But the ploughs cost...
Do you think I'm a capitalist?
- Do you want to ruin me?
- No, no.
And the mortgage of S?o Bernardo?
Nonsense...
S?o Bernardo isn't worth
chicken feed.
Pereira is right.
The father
ruined the property.
20 Contos, Mr. Paulo.
Everybody will profit.
We'll see, Padilha.
We'll see.
Money is money.
Padilha got the 20 Contos less
what he owed me and the interest.
He bought a printing plant
and founded a newspaper.
The independent
"Correio de Vi?osa"
which folded after only
four editions.
As regards agriculture
he was expecting...
machinery catalogues
that never came.
He started to hide from me.
When we met,
he tried not to see me.
The lest bill came due
on a winter day.
You're here? How are you?
Fine, thank you.
I thought about the business.
I thought about it a lot.
I can't even sleep any more.
I wanted to see you yesterday
but couldn't.
With this rain.
Forget the rain.
I have serious troubles.
I wanted to ask you for a
deferment with interest.
- Resources I don't have.
- And the flour mill?
And the ploughs?
A winter like this spoils
everything. Resources I don't have.
Deferment with interest...
isn't worth while.
We'll liquidate.
What you mean, liquidate!
I told you I can't!
Only if you take the
printing plant.
What printing plant?
You're an ass!
One does what one can -
using what one has.
Sure, I owe you.
But I can't pay like that.
If you stand me on my head...
you won't find a cent.
I'm broke.
That's not the way to talk.
Look, Padilha, the promissory
notes are due.
I already told you I'm broke.
Want me to steal?
I can't and finish!
What is finished?
It's just starting!
I'll take everything, you dog!
I'll leave you in your
underwear!
Patience, Mr. Paulo.
With noise we get nowhere.
- I'll pay, wait a few days.
- I'll wait not even for an hour.
I'm serious and
you talk nonsense!
You want an amicable solution?
Make a price for your property.
For him, S?o Bernardo was
an useless thing...
but he held it in regard.
There he hid bitterness
and poverty.
Bird-hunting, swimming
and sleeping.
He slept too much, afraid
to meet Mendon?a.
Make your price!
I always wanted to keep the
farm, Mr. Paulo.
What for?
S?o Bernardo is worthless!
I talk as a friend,
as a friend.
I don't like to see a man
with a rope round his neck.
Those lawyers are as
hungry as wolves!
If I sick Nogueira at you
you'll end up with a just
bundle on your back!
Lots of expenses, Mr. Padilha.
Lots of expenses!
Come on, give you price!
- 80 Contos.
- You're crazy.
A long time ago your father
wanted 50, and that was too much.
Much too much.
To-day the mill is in ruins.
The neighbors' cattle
broke the gates.
The houses are decayed.
And Mendon?a? What's for him?
I'll give you 30 Contos.
70, Mr. Paulo.
32.
- Mr. Paulo, please... 66.
- Not more than 32.
We haggled for hours and
came to an agreement.
I promised to pay in cash...
and with the house I had...
10 Contos.
Padilha put 7 Contos on the house
and 43 for S?o Bernardo.
I wrest another 2 Contos. 42 for
the property and 8 for the house.
Early next day, he put his
tail into the trap
and signed the deed.
I deducted the debt, interest,
the price of the house
and gave him 7 Contos,
550 Mil Reis.
And I didn't regret it!
You did wrong!
You shouldn't have bought the
property without consulting me.
Why? The old owner wasn't of age?
Of course.
But you should have made an
investigation first.
I don't want to investigate.
That's for you.
The old boundaries are only
provisory, did you know?
We better straighten this out!
Each one in his place!
Don't bother fixing the fence,
I'll throw it down again!
To make sure about the border.
The fence stays.
If you want to,
Mr. Mendon?a,
you may send for cedar wood
good wood for your building.
Thanks, no. Wood one
always finds.
There's always some around.
But, look, if you want to
barter some cattle...
Mr. Mendon?a,
about the boundaries
I think we can discuss them
some other day...
- at leisure.
- Sure.
In this 2nd year there where
some terrible difficulties.
Torturing work...
days and days, in sun and rain, with
machete, gun and cartridge-belt...
eating, during the rest
periods, some fried codfish...
and a hand-full of flour.
Casimiro.
I was visiting old Mendon?a.
I promised him a sheep.
Sunday is a holiday.
Elections.
I invited Mendon?a too.
We go to town.
We must give him a
hot welcome.
This business of men snooping
round the house each night...
is just not right.
You know what you have to do.
Sunday night, on his way back
from the election
Mendon?a fetched a bullet
in the small of the back...
he kicked the bucket right
there on the Bonsucesso road.
At the hour of the crime
I was in town
talking with the vicar
about the church
I was planning to build in
S?o Bernardo.
How terrible, my God!
- Mendon?a had enemies?
- Did he have enemies!
He had enemies like ticks!
To continue, Padre Silvestre.
How much costs a bell?
The tough guy
I met one day
in Mendon?a's house
also came to a bad end.
A clean-up...
this sort of people almost
never dies well.
Poison snakes take them...
or drink...
others get themselves shot.
One I lost at the stone-quarry.
The crow-bar slipped, hit his
chest, and that was that.
He left a widow and small
children. They got lost.
One of the boys fell
into the fire...
one got eaten up by worms...
the last one got angina...
and the woman hanged herself.
In those 5 years I often wanted
to give up...
by-passing difficulties...
so many curves!
Do you think I did wrong?
The truth is... I never knew
which were my good deeds...
and which were my bad ones.
For doing a lot of good things
I suffered losses...
an I profited from
many bad things.
Since I always wanted to own
the lands of S?o Bernardo,
I considered legitimate any
acts helping me to do so.
With your permission,
Excellency,
we want you to know
that we are very proud of
your visit here.
Your Excellency will remember...
I liked your property
very much.
- Excellent real estate.
- Thank you, Excellency.
The school?
Where is this school?
It's been taken care of,
your Excellency.
I already asked Dr. Nogueira to
file the necessary papers.
School!
What did I care if people could
read of if they were analphabets?
These government people are
all cracked.
Take an educated picker
of beans...
and watch the result!
Send me Padilha here tomorrow.
After he cures his hangover.
I must talk to him, urgently.
Don't forget!
All devils! This visit brings
me a lot of benefits!
A capital! I want to see
how much it will pay me.
All devils! The school
will be a capital.
The church-funding was
also a capital.
All devils! A capital.
- What legs! Greek columns!
- And the breasts!
And her breasts!
She's an educated woman.
We came with our Padilha,
here.
Such a nice holiday, so
we came on foot.
- Whose legs?
- Madalena's.
- Who?
- A teacher. You don't know her?
- She's pretty!
- Educated.
A brunette, about 30.
- 30 years, more or less.
- 20... if that much!
You never saw her closely,
- or you wouldn't say that!
- What? I saw her...
at Marcela's birthday party.
20!
You saw her from afar! At night,
it's different at day.
- 30!
- 25...
Very well, Padilha,
25 so close the matter.
You'll have supper with me.
You can return by car.
Padilha, I must talk to you.
It's like this, I'm thinking
of opening a school.
Very well. So you decided to
follow my advice.
Good.
I was thinking about the school.
Get Madalena, Mr. Paulo.
Excellent acquisition. Learned...
An ornament for the house,
Mr. Paulo.
Nonsense! Am I looking
for ornaments?
I didn't say I didn't want her.
But that I was
a very busy man.
But I asked about the salary.
I asked about the salary.
That depends.
I don't know how much
you're worth.
100 Mil Reis a month.
Let's say 150, as a trial.
Room... board...
good conversation...
150 Mil Reis a month, and
8 hours of work a day.
Agreed?
But let me tell you:
Work is work
Nobody drinks here.
- Only guests drink here.
- I understand. I'll think it over.
As regards drinking, no need
to tell me: I don't drink.
Sometimes during meal,
but not always.
And from time to time,
if a friend offers me one.
I might accept.
That morning I found myself
thinking about marriage.
I got the idea without having
seen any girl.
I don't bother with love,
you must have noticed.
I always thought that females
are strange creatures.
Difficult to govern.
So I didn't feel inclined
to anyone.
What I wanted was to get
an heir...
for the lands of S?o Bernardo.
Robbery! That's what is
categorically demonstrated
by the philosophers in all
the books.
More than 3,5 miles of land,
with houses, weirs,
cattle, woods... all belonging
to one man. That's wrong!
That's right. Mr. Padilha
is right.
I don't understand, I'm stupid,
but I lose sleep thinking.
One kills oneself working for
strangers. Right, Casimiro?
Nonsense. The land has owners
since time began.
What you mean, owners!
One kills oneself working to
enrich others.
Working at what? What are
you working at, parasite?
- Idler! Scullion!
- It's nothing, Mr. Paulo!
I was just explaining some
theories to the people.
Not on my land!
Get lost!
Behind my gates, nobody
pisses out of line.
Get your asses out of here!
With a teacher like that
I'm fucked! Fucked!
What are you teaching your
pupils, you scoundrel?
E eu meto a m?o em cumbuca?
Would I propagate
subversive ideas?
Ungrateful dunce!
Chicken brain!
You got the wrong boat!
This time I'll let it pass...
but if I catch you again,
like jumping flies
I'll call the Police.
This is not Russia!
Hear me? And get lose!
Sorry.
Excuse me.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome, Dona Gloria.
This Great Western
us rubbish. A mess.
This isn't a coach, it's
a chicken coop.
- They're no good?
- The worst there is, Dona Gloria.
I think we met before.
I don't remember.
I have very bad memory.
At the judge's, last month.
You were with a girl whose eyes...
Oh, right.
Here is a very good article
about agriculture.
The author knows his stuff.
Now I remember.
You were with Mr. Nogueira,
discussing politics.
That's it.
- Do you live in the capital?
- No, in the hinterland.
- Vi?osa?
So do I. Recently.
Small town.
- An ugly small town, isn't it?
- Small town? And the big ones?
All ugly. I like the country...
understand?
My God, the country is for
animals.
- Do you live there?
- S?o Bernardo.
It's a nice farm.
There's none of the dirty
water one drinks around here.
Mud? No, madam... There's all
comfort. Hygiene.
I don't like it. I was
brought up in town.
Leaving it, I'm like a fish
on dry land. I was hoping for
a transference to a school at
the capital. But I don't know
- any influential people.
- You're a school-teacher?
No, my niece is.
That girl that was with you
at Dr. Magalh?es'?
What's the name of you niece,
Dona Gloria?
Madalena.
She was a brilliant student,
you see.
Wait, Nogueira and Gondim
were telling me about her.
Attractive girl, beautiful...
Of course...
Gondim talked a lot...
He is a boring fine talker.
A girl like that,
hiding away in a hole, Mr...
Paulo Hon?rio, Dona Gloria.
It's a pity.
It's silly to teach the ABC.
Excuse my indiscretion.
How much does your niece
make teaching the ABC?
- 180 Mil Reis.
- How much?
180 Mil Reis.
That's a disgraceful, Madame.
How the devil can a Christian
live with that?
You want me to tell you?
It makes one angry to see
decent folk
subjected to such misery.
I have servants who never went to
school and who make more than that.
Why don't you advise your niece
to abandon this profession?
Pleased to meet you.
I already knew you by sight.
But I didn't know you
were alone.
- We met some days ago, didn't we?
- A month ago.
Exactly.
By the way, I was
telling this to your aunt.
A great traveling companion.
Dona Marcela told me that you
have a beautiful farm.
Beautiful? I didn't notice.
It might be beautiful.
What I know is,
it's quite a good farm.
The invitation stands.
And you promise that you'll
stay a few days at the farm.
I hope you bring the teacher.
It's only 10 minutes by car.
No.
No, why?
With the holidays...
Excursions...
that's for rich people.
And then what would your
family say to have two strangers?
Family? What family, Madame?
I never had one.
- I live alone with God.
- Then it's worse. Inconvenient.
Pity. It's such a nice place
to rest.
Well, so it's over.
If it's inconvenient,
I haven't said a word.
But now, why inconvenient?
I'd like
to show the Peking
dukes to Dona Gloria.
Do you know Peking ducks,
Dona Madalena?
Not yet.
That's it, one studies a lot,
I wonder what for?
Carrier?
- Shall we rest a while?
- Thank you. I'll get to the hotel.
You're very badly installed
here, ladies.
Good bye.
If you want to see S?o Bernardo
I'll send you a car.
Of course. And thank you
for your company.
You're very welcome.
Let's go.
Dr. Nogueira,
- who is this Dona Gloria?
- The teacher's aunt?
- Yes. How's her family?
- In which sense?
In general. I traveled with her in
the train today. She's sympathetic.
But what's your interest?
She indirectly touched on
an ambition of hers:
Her niece's transference.
- I never saw the director of...
- Public Instruction?
I know Silveira,
who makes the rules.
Perhaps this transference
won't be difficult.
- Lf they deserve it, of course.
- But she's an excellent teacher.
Noble character. And you want
to take her away. Cheers.
If she leaves, do you know
what will happen?
They'll send us and
old analphabet.
Yes, you're right.
Gondim, some time ago you
spoke to me about a teacher.
Madalena?
I met her the other day.
I liked her. Is she serious?
A great girl. Only the articles
she writes for the "Cruzeiro"...
- So she writes?
- Very educated.
Do you have anything
to do with her?
Projects. I want her to
teach in S?o Bernardo.
She might not accept.
To live in the wilderness...
That's the aunt, an old fool.
But the other one, if she's
as bright as you say...
Yes, it might be advantageous
for her. More money, right?
- Of course.
- Did you already speak to her?
No. If I had, I wouldn't
consult you.
Gondim... do me a favor.
Sound her out.
I hardly know her.
You do it yourself.
No.
I must get back to
S?o Bernardo today.
And then I wouldn't know how
to treat people like that.
Complicated.
Gondim... talk to her, please.
All right.
I'll talk about the landscape,
country poetry...
the simplicity of the pupils
and if she's not convinced yet
I'll hit her with patriotism!
How are you?
- Fine, thanks, and you?
- How is the farm?
- I can't complain.
And your school and Dona Gloria?
Nothing new?
Of course you're not interested
in the farm.
I'm here for another reason.
The offer you made me
through Gondim?
More or less.
I should have told you
that I can't accept.
The Devil! And the pay rise,
what about that?
It's not convenient. I'm a
public teacher 6 years now.
I won't lose my security
like that.
Those private schools are open
today and closed tomorrow.
Congratulations for your
prudence.
We really would have taken chances.
- Lf you say so yourself...
- I do.
I have another offer for you.
To be frank, that school
business was a pretext...
What I have to say is
very difficult...
You must agree...
But let me come to the point.
Let me be frank, heart in hand.
Here it is:
I decided to get married.
You please me.
I liked you the fist time
I saw you.
It's clear that I'm not the
ideal man you've dreamt of.
I'm 40 years old.
You must be 20.
27.
Twenty-seven?
Nobody's give you more than 20.
Very well...
We're getting closer.
With a bit of good will...
we can be in church
next week.
Your proposal is very
advantageous for me.
Very advantageous.
But I must think it over.
Anyway I'm very grateful to you.
It's true I'm as poor as Job,
and all alone.
Don't say that, girl.
And your education?
And your person?
You don't count that?
Do you want to know something?
If we reach an agreement
it's me who gets the swell deal.
How are you, Dona Madalena?
- Very well, thanks, and you?
I found the keys.
Mr. Paulo Hon?rio, you here?
Good to see you.
- Congratulations.
- What's that?
Your marriage. Everybody talks
of it. You didn't tell.
When is it going to be?
You're drunk!
I didn't think it a secret.
Everybody knows.
Idiot!
You see?
They're talking about it.
It's all they talk about,
according to Gondim.
I'll never come back here.
In the first place, I don't
want to aggrieve you.
And then, it's ridiculous.
Of course you've thought
it over.
I always wanted to live
in the country.
Awake early, take care of
the garden.
You have a garden there,
don't you?
Why don't you wait a
little more?
To be frank with you,
I don't love you.
Now listen to that!
I wouldn't believe you if
you had told me you did.
I don't like people
who just fall in love
and make rash decisions.
Especially one like this.
Let's set the day.
There's no hurry.
In a year, perhaps.
I must prepare mylself.
A year?
A business after a year
is no good.
What's missing?
A white dress one can make
in 24 hours.
Can we tell your aunt?
All right.
Dona Gloria, let me inform you
that I and your niece will be
hitched up in a week.
To speak property,
we are going to be married.
Of course you'll come with us.
It's a big house.
There's a lot of shacks too,
and where 2 can eat, 3 can.
Starting a new life,
right, Paulo?
Very well.
Quite a woman.
How much do you make,
Mr. Ribeiro?
200 Mil Reis.
That's very little indeed.
When he was working for Brito,
he got 150 a month.
So, 200, bed and board,
washing included, isn't bad.
That's true. I'm all right.
I get enough money.
And if you had 10 children?
That's enough.
You too?
Take care of your Romans.
Don't be angry. We all have
our opinions.
Sure. But it's stupid to
voice opinions
about things one doesn't
understand.
The Devil! I'm not
discussing grammar!
The business of my farm
I understand.
You make me lose patience!
That was imprudent.
It was. Inconsiderate.
One must think before
one speaks.
Certainly.
I forgot they were employees.
Sorry I was inconvenient.
Very inconvenient!
Now you exaggerate. Why?
It was a misunderstanding.
Thank you. Little sugar.
That's the word: Misunderstanding.
Things here are different
from outside.
Cinema, bars, invitations,
shouting, billiards - the Devil!
Here there is nothing of that.
And sometimes on doesn't
know how to spend the money.
Do you want me to tell you
something?
I started out in life with
100 Mil Reis.
Yes, Ma'am, 100 Mil Reis,
and borrowed.
Well, they went a long way.
I believe you.
I still don't know how things
are here. I'll get used to it.
What I feel...
I never regret anything.
What's done is done.
But then, a sad face never
helped anybody.
If you want to join
Dona Gloria...
She didn't pay attention to
our talk, poor thing.
It was just talk.
It was on for the Devil.
Will you do me a favor?
Talk to her, tell her
I didn't mean to hurt her.
An elderly lady, respectable.
That I didn't mean to,
do you hear?
I'm like that, rather
ill-tempered.
Madalena,
why don't you take care of
the correspondence?
Do you want a salary?
Of course.
Later we talk about that.
Mr. Ribeiro will open an
account for you.
But then, in spite of all
precautions,
all the asbestos we used
to isolate our attritions...
new discords arose.
Then, there were many...
In the morning, Madalena
worked at the office but
in the afternoon she went out and
visited the huts of the tenants.
That's bad.
Marciano!
Marciano!
Marciano!
Go to work!
- I've already finished, Mr. Paulo.
- Finished, nothing!
Yes I did. I swear it by
this light that shines on us.
You lie! The cattle
are starving! Gnawing wood!
Just now it was filled.
I never saw cattle eat more.
Nobody can live here
any more.
No rest...
Are you getting cute,
you bastard?
To work, you tramp!
You are to blame.
Filling their block-heads
with stories.
I wasn't filling anything,
Mr. Paulo. That's injustice.
He came to complain, truly.
I even told him:
"You better feed the cattle,
Marciano."
He didn't believe me and hung
around, twaddling. I was sick of it.
By God, I can't stand
the face of his.
Insolence...
You give the foot
and they want the hand.
Taking fresh air?
It's horrible.
Pardon?
- It's horrible.
- What?
Your behavior.
How barbarous. Preposterous.
What a story, the Devil. I don't
understand. Explain.
How can you beat a human
being like that?
Ah, yes, because of Marciano.
I thought it was something
serious. It frightened me.
To beat a man like that!
How terrible!
That was nothing. You're
drowning in a puddle.
Those people only work if they
must. One must kick them.
And then, Marciano is not
really a man.
- Why?
- Who knows. God's will.
- He's weakling.
- Sure. You're always humiliating him.
I protest! When I met him,
he was already a weaking.
I suppose he always was
kicked around.
Nonsense. He was born
a weakling.
That's cruelty...
Why did you do that?
Because I thought
it should be done.
And I'm not used to explain
my actions, understand?
Big deal!
A guy got boxed 2 or 3 times.
What the devil have you with
Marciano to care so much?
We must help Dr. Caetano.
If I could convince Madalena
that she's not right...
If I explained that we
must live in peace.
She doesn't understand me.
We don't understand
each other.
What will happen not be
what me hope for.
Absurdity!
Not to hear the tic tac
of the clock.
What time is it?
When I sat down here
I heard the pendulum.
I heard it very well.
It would be convenient
to wind the clock.
But I'm unable to get up.
Look at that!
Are you sleeping? Wake up!
Houses, church, road,
weir, pastures...
are like new.
The cotton field is almost
3,5 miles by 2.
The woods are rich.
Yellow-trees, cedars...
See the cotton-gin,
the saw mill...
All this just grew here,
all by itself...
To hell and gone,
to the pest-house!
Go see that brat.
Must things be that way?
Let the world come down!
The boy screams his head off!
Madalena got a baby. A boy.
Really, it must be delicious
to live in S?o Bernardo.
It's beautiful for outsiders.
We here get used to it.
I don't keep this as an
ornament. It's to be sold.
- The flowers too?
- Everything!
- Flowers, vegetables, fruits...
- There,
that's common-sense.
If all Brazilians would
only think like that
- we wouldn't have so much misery.
- Politics, Padre Silvestre?
Why not? You must agree that
we're at the brink of an abyss.
Very well said.
- What abyss?
- The system...
dishonesty... villainy...
Who're the villains?
I'm not to accuse anybody.
But facts are facts.
- Look around.
- It's best to point out.
Whom to point out? The
dominant class are rotten.
The country is going down.
What happened to you
for you to talk like that?
You sound as
if your income didn't pay
your expenses.
I suppose business goes
very well.
But it's not about me.
State finances are sick.
And are getting worse.
But don't make a mistake,
a revolution will come.
That would do it!
Spoil everything!
- Why?
- Are you also a revolutionary?
I only wonder why?
Why! No credits,
money devaluation.
Imported merchandises get
deadly expensive.
And then, this political
complication.
That would be great! Then
everything would get well.
I wonder why Padre Silvestre
wants a revolution.
- What advantage would you have?
- None.
No advantage at all.
But I think the collectivity
would gain with this.
Just wait. They're already
building a fire to fry you in.
- Literature.
- Literature no.
But something good
might come out of it.
Fascism.
That's what you think.
We'd get communism.
God beware!
- Afraid. Mr. Ribeiro?
- I already saw many changes -
- all to the worse.
- None of this.
Those absurd doctrines
don't prosper amongst us.
Communism is misery,
degradation of society.
At Dom Pedro's time
there was little money
and a Conto of Reis
made you rich.
But there was abundance.
Pumpkins rotting on the land.
Castor beans, cotton seed,
were worthless.
After the proclamation of the
Republic, they became dear.
That's why I say
changes are always for
the worse.
A Nation without God!
They shot all the priests.
Not one got away.
And the drunken soldatesca
broke images and
danced on the altars.
Madness! Is that possible?
On the altars?
Thy did not! Anti-revolutionary
propaganda!
Do you work for them,
Padre Silvestre?
No. I stay quietly in
my corner.
But I do think that the
Government is no good.
I do think there must be
a reform.
As for those ideas,
this communism -
I don't believe they could
prosper here amongst us.
The people has religion.
The people is Catholic.
I don't think so. Nobody
knows the doctrine.
If a Protestant preaches
the gospel
all the devotees from our
processions will listen.
Others preach Spiritsm.
And the rabble believes
in witchcraft.
Some even worship trees.
Many enter Catholicism as if
it were a hotel.
They chose their dish
with great fastidiousness.
The more advanced ones
are sceptics.
You're wrong,
Padre Silvestre.
They hear the Mass,
but they are no Catholics.
You can look at it from one
side - or from the other.
In this case...
what would you lose,
Mr. Ribeiro?
I don't konw. I might.
All that disgrace.
At least here I have
a piece of bread.
If this disgrace come,
I'd get not even this.
No, Mr. Ribeiro, you're wrong.
Madalena tried to convince him.
But I didn't understand what
she was saying.
All of a sudden I felt
a suspicion.
I had felt a sentiment
like this before.
When?
When?
It got clear in a moment!
It was that same day in
the office
when Madalena gave me
the letters to sign.
A plot with Padilha
to spoil the good employees.
Yes, Sir!
A Communist!
I building -
she tearing down!
Corruption!
Dissolution of society!
Padre Silvestre is right.
Religion is a bridle.
Nonsense! Who's a horse to
need a bridle?
What would be Madalena's
religion?
None, perhaps.
She'd never spoken of this.
Materialist!
I remembered Costa talk about
historical materialism.
What did this mean?
I truly worry little
about the other world.
I'm for God, heavenly paymaster
of my workers
so badly rewarded here on earth
and for the Devil
future torturer of the thief
of a priced cow of mine.
I therefore have
a little religion...
albeit I think it is partly
dispensable in a man.
But a woman without religion.
Horrible!
Communist!
Materialist!
A nice marriage!
Friendship with this
imbecile Padilha.
What were they talking about?
I have confidence -
But I magnified Nogueira's
beautiful eyes...
his well-made clothes,
his insinuating voice...
mixing it with Madalena's
materialsm and communism
and I started to get jealous.
Madalena, Dona Gloria,
Padilha... what a crowd!
I wanted do grab Madalena
and kick even her palate.
An educated woman.
All I needed was proof.
To find her in bed
with another man.
Please show me this.
There's nothing to show.
It's only for me.
All right.
But please show me.
I already told you it is
of interest only for myself!
Will you please show me
this letter?
Go to hell! Look after
your own affairs!
Give me this letter, you cow!
People hear you outside.
Damn, fuck yourself!
This girl, face like a saint...
Fuck yourself.
If you're not satisfied, get lost.
You and your niece.
Go away both of you.
Fuck yourself, both of you.
- Give me this letter, you bitch!
- Wretch!
- Give me this letter, bitch!
- Wretch!
- Murderer!
- Bitch!
Madalena, Dona Gloria and Padilha
go all fuck yourself!
Murderer!
What did she know of my life?
I never confided in her,
everybody has his secrets.
It would be interesting if
one would tell everything.
Everybody has his vices.
Madalena, coming from a school,
must have many.
Could I know her past?
Her present was bad.
She didn't call Casimiro a
murderer, but me!
Nex she would insist that
Casimiro and I were one.
Madalena, Dona Gl?ria, Padilha...
Go fuck yourselves!
Go fuck yourselves!
After calming down
I changed my mind.
Madalena was honest, of course.
She didn't show the paper
because of her strong will.
Dignity. Of couse.
Stupid jealousy.
Better behaved than her,
only in a monastery.
And good even to the
wild animals.
After the morning's violence,
I felt full of optimism.
And my inherent brutality
turned against Padilha.
Scoundrel!
Fire him.
At your service,
Mr. Paulo Hon?rio.
Bad news for you.
I don't need your services
any more.
Why? What did I do?
You ask me that?
You should know what you did!
I didn't do anything.
What have I done wrong?
I'm worse off than a
prisoner in jail.
I don't go out.
If I try,
Casimiro follows me.
What have I done?
Show me one thing!
I don't give explications.
All right.
Always busy, and now this.
Year in, year out
the stupid employee works.
Doing his duty,
trying to please.
When one expects a raise,
there comes a kick-out.
Give me at least a few days,
to get my affairs in order.
I can't leave like this,
with empty hands.
- You have a month.
- Thanks very much.
And one must be grateful on top.
Well done!
If I hadn't helped your wife,
this wouldn't have happened.
- What?!
- Very helpful, yes!
"Go get me a book, Mr. Padilha"
and there I'd go.
"Get me a paper, Mr. Padilha"
I'd get it.
"Copy this page,
Mr. Padilha" I'd copy.
"Some oranges, Mr. Padilha"
I even got her oranges!
Helpful.
That woman was the reason
for my disgrace.
- Watch your tongue!
- What did I say?
I was helpful.
That's why you send me away.
No.
That's not it!
It's because you were intriguing.
- Making trouble!
- What intrigues?
Which trouble?
You can't show me one!
Am I to blame if your wife
has advanced ideas?
- It's not because of that.
- Then I don't know.
Listen, Padilha...
I see a lot of things
and close my eyes.
Now when I say that you
were making trouble
it's because you were
making trouble!
Say it then.
My conscience is clear.
Say it!
If one knows, one tells.
Don't come me like this.
You told Madalena lies.
Didn't you talk badly about me?
Did you? Tell me!
I did not, Mr. Paulo.
I don't know anything.
Don't give me that, man.
I heard you.
All right, if you heard me,
one can't argue.
Of course you heard
what I didn't say.
I heard what you said.
I hear well!
Or you heard about
Mendon?a's death.
Dona Madalena knew.
- Knew what?
- What the people say. Slander.
I explained everything
and defended you.
"Dona Madalena,
that's an old story."
"To mess with it doesn't give
his life back".
"Old Mendon?a
was a blighter
who went about stealing
other people's land."
"Now don't believe everything
they tell you around here."
"Mr. Paulo has a good heart,
he wouldn't kill a bird".
Padilha...
why did you say Madalena
was your disgrace?
What do you want?
Didn't I lose my job
because of her?
It was her. And look here,
I don't like that.
Many times I said, openly.
"Dona Madalena, Mr. Paulo is
set against socialism."
"You better leave
this sort of talk".
There you are.
I'm blameless.
I'm blameless!
Damn...
What were you talking
about so much?
Literature, politics...
Art, religion...
An educated woman,
Dona Madalena.
Intelligent. A library.
Well, all this is no news.
You know better then I what
sort of wife you have.
You know the wife
you have.
I knew nothing.
That was exactly what
spoiled my appetite.
To live with somebody
in the same house
to eat at the same table
to sleep in the same bed
and to discover years later
that she was a stranger.
Who's there?
Who's there?!
Flesh and blood or a ghost?
Won't you answer?
What was it?
Your partners surround the house.
But be sure
any day now...
one of them will get
dropped dead.
He whistled, didn't he?
Did you fix an encounter
here, right on top of me?
That's all I needed!
Do you want me to leave?
Do you want me to leave,
your cow? Don't be shy!
Stop that crying.
Just because they whistle
in the orchard
or walk about in the garden
you don't have to be
awash in tears.
You better stop this magic.
If I had proof that
Madalena was innocent
I'd give her a life
she couldn't imagine.
I'd buy her dresses to
last for ever.
Expensive hats
dozens of silk stockings...
I'd be attentive
I'd call the best doctors
to cure her paleness...
I'd let her give clothes
to the women of the workers.
If I knew that she
betrayed me...
Ah, if I knew that
she betrayed me...
I'd kill her! I'd open a vein
in her throat, slowly...
so she'd bleed a whole day.
Another one, Mr. Paulo!
What the hell!
If that fly were any good,
if she were smart
she would be here to
enjoy all this beauty.
In spite of being only
reasonably impressionable
I'm convinced that this is
not a bad world.
8 meters over the ground
one has the vague sensation
of being 8 meters tall.
And when, that tall, we see
cattle herds at our feet
plantations covering large
tracts of land...
All ours.
And we see the smoke that
rises from our houses.
Where there live people who
respect us, fear us.
They might even love us,
since they depend on us.
A great calm involves us.
And we feel good,
we feel strong.
And if there are enemies
nearby, dying...
even if they are
unimportant enemies
that a boy could finish off
with a club...
our feeling of power
becomes steady
and augments.
In the face of this
a doll that traces
invisible lines
on paper that's just only visible
deserves little consideration.
So I came down in peace with God
and with mankind.
Son of a bitch!
A letter, man!
Am I some sort of Marciano?
Goddamn band of sons of bitches!
Turn around. We've got business.
Still?
What were you doing here?
Praying?
You might just say
you were praying!
Still?
You wrote a letter.
That's the way it is.
Go away!
Go away!
Let me come see it, Mr. Paulo.
Of course.
I'll come back later.
It's still early.
There's a letter.
I must know, do you understand?
So?
I read it.
Say something.
What for?
Three years we lead this
horrible life.
When we try to understand
each other
I'm certain that we will
end up fighting.
This letter.
The rest is in the office
on my desk.
This leaf probably was blown
into the garden-
Whom to?
You'll see.
It's on the desk.
It's not a big deal,
you'll see.
Well...
Will you forgive me for the
troubles I cause you, Paulo?
- I had my reasons, I suppose.
- That's not the point.
Will you forgive me?
What spoilt everything
was your jealousy.
Be a friend to my aunt, Paulo.
When all this fighting
has passed
you'll recognize that
she's a good person.
This misunderstanding.
She's to blame too.
A bit sour.
Ribeiro is an honest working
man, don't you think?
Yes.
Once he was a gambler
cards hark...
today he's garbage.
An honest fellow!
Poor devil!
- And Padilha...
- No, no. This is cheating.
It's not right for you to
be on his side.
- A scoundrel!
Marciano...
you're rude to Marciano...
Oh well...
That's bullshit...
Don't be angry...
- What I wanted...
- What did you want?
I don't know!
If I should die suddenly...
What's that for a story, woman?
- That's really too fast.
- No.
You know very well how my end will
be. If I should suddenly die...
Will you stop this, woman.
Why talk like this?
Give my dresses to the family
of Caetano and to Rosa.
Give my books to Ribeiro,
Padilha and Gondim.
What a stupid way to talk!
I feel like going on a trip.
After the harvest, Ribeiro
can take care of my farm -
we go to Bahia,
to Rio de Janeiro,
let's stay away a few months
and rest.
You take care of your stomach,
have fun, fill up...
It's good to get new air.
The whole time in this hole,
working like a Negro...
The we'll have a look at
S?o Paulo. All right?
This morning, there were
flowers in the forest.
I counted four.
In a week they'll be beautiful.
Pity they fall so fast.
What do you tell me
about the trip?
Yes, I was praying.
Not quite praying,
I don't know how to pray.
No time.
I wrote so much that
my fingers hurt.
Small letters,
to economize paper.
Before exams I only slept
2, 3 hours a night.
I didn't have any protection,
understand?
In spite of everything, our
house was humid and cold.
In the winter I took my books
into the kitchen.
I could go to church...
I studies always, always,
afraid not to pass the exams.
The houses of the workers here
are also humid and cold.
It was so sad.
I was praying for them.
For all of you.
Praying!
I was just talking.
My God, it's so late,
and here I'm talking.
Farewell, Paulo.
I will rest.
For God, nothing is impossible.
For God, nothing is impossible.
For two years Madalena is dead
now. Two difficult years.
I'm a crushed man.
III?
No.
I'm in perfect health.
Thanks God, I never
needed a doctor.
I don't suffer from disease.
It's evident that,
once this crisis is past,
the farm could go back
to normal business.
Everybody killing themselves
working again,
eating flour and dried cod-fish.
Trucks could roll again,
loaded with merchandise.
The farm could resurrect
with busy noises.
But what for?
"What for?",
you'll ask me.
Behind this noisy bustle
there would be many tears
and curses.
Little children,
devoured by vermin,
would die slowly in the
humid, cold huts.
And Madalena wouldn't be here any
more, to send them medicines.
Men and women would be
but sad beasts.
Beasts!
Because the people who worked
for me were just beasts.
There were some trained
ones, like Padilha...
and wild ones,
like Casimiro Lopes.
And the others, harmless ones,
who worked the plantations,
Tame calves.
I raised myself above
my own class.
I think I raised quite high.
I'm sure that the manuals
for commerce,
agriculture and cattle raising,
which constitutes the base
for my instruction,
didn't make me a better man
than I was before.
Then, at least,
I didn't dream to be this ferocious
exploiter I have become.
I think I lost my way.
To-day,
I don't sing and I don't laugh.
I always think of Madalena.
If it were possible
to start over again...
If it were possible
to start over again...
everything would happen
just the same way.
I simply can't change myself and
that distresses me most of all.
Madalena came here
filled with good feelings...
and intentions.
They shattered on
my brutality and my egotism.
I don't think I was always
a brutal egotist.
But my job brought out those
bad qualities of mine.
Mu terrible suspiciousness
makes me see only enemies.
This suspiciousness is also
a consequence of my job.
This way of life that
destroyed me.
I'm a cripple.
My heart must be very small,
my brain full of empty spaces,
my nerves different from those
of other people.
And a enormous nose...
an enormous mouths...
enormous fingers...
It's horrible.
If only somebody would come!
But they're all asleep.
If only my son would cry!
But not even for my son
I feel friendship.
What misery!
Casimiro Lopes sleeps.
Marciano sleeps.
Scoundrels!
And I'll stay here,
in the dark,
till I don't know what time.
Till, dead-tired,
my head will rest
on the table,
and I may sleep a few minutes.
HIGH RESOLUTION PICTURE AND SOUND DIGITALLY
RESTORED FROM THE ORIGINAL 35mm NEGATIVE
RESTORATION SPONSORED BY THE
PETROBR?S CULTURAL PROGRAM
S. BERNARDO
To continue.
I want to tell my story.
It's difficult.
I might omit superfluous
details...
that seem indispensable.
Also, being used to deal
with peasants,
I might not trust the
reader's understanding...
and repeat insignificant
events.
Besides, none of this is
ordered, as can be seen.
It doesn't matter.
The half-breeds around
me say...
all roads lead to a pub.
My aim in life was to get
the lands of S?o Bernardo.
To build this house,
to grow cotton,
castor oil plants, to build a
saw-mill and a cotton-gin.
To introduce pomiculture and
aviculture in this wilderness.
Get a regular stock of cattle.
All this sounds easy...
after it's done.
But if you
look around and...
don't know where
to begin...
the difficulties are terrible.
If I tried to tell you
about my childhood
I'd have to lie.
I was just knocking about,
I suppose.
I remember a blind man
who pulled my ears
and old Margarida
who sold sweets.
The blind man is gone.
Old Margarida lives here
in S?o Bernardo...
in a clean little house.
Nobody bothers her.
When I turned 18 I had
worn out many hoes
getting 5 cents for
12 hours of labor.
Then I did my first
memorable act.
During a watch that turned
free-for-all
I grabbed Germana, quite
a juice morsel,
and gave her a big pinch
on her rounded bum.
She liked it so much
she piddled.
But then she took off and
hitched up with Jo?o Fagundes.
As a result of that
I boxed Germana's ear
and slipped my knife into
Jo?o Fagundes.
So I was arrested.
I got a sound spanking
and all that
and was put away for 3 years
9 months and 15 days.
In jail, Joaquim Cobbler
taught me to read
from a small Protestant bible.
Joaquim Cobbler died.
Germana went bad.
When I got out,
she was a cheap whore
- and a sick one.
By then I didn't think of
her any more...
I thought about making money.
I got registered as a voter.
And Mr. Pereira, loan-shark
and big wheel in politics,
lend me 10O Mil Reis at
5% interest per month.
I paid him back and got 20O with
the interest reduced to 3%.
It didn't get less than that.
I learned arithmetic in order not
to be robbed more than convenient.
At first, money ran away
from me.
I restlessly hunted it,
traveling the wilderness.
Trading in hammocks, cattle,
hole statues and rosaries...
small things, here making
money, there losing it...
working with borrowed money,
signing promissory notes.
Highly complicated transactions.
I went hungry and thirsty,
slept in dry river beds...
quarreled with people
who talk shouting...
some deals were wound up,
cocked guns in hand.
What do you mean, justice?
There's no such thing!
You have no religion! You
must pay the 30 Contos.
And 6 months interest!
Pay, or I'll skin you slowly!
I decided to settle here,
in Vi?osa, Alagoas.
And I planned to buy the
farm S?o Bernardo
where I used to work for
5 cents a day.
Without letting on I went
to see Luis Padilha,
the owner of S?o Bernardo.
Excuse me.
Why don't you work S?o Bernardo?
Perdon?
With tractors, ploughs,
decent agriculture.
You never thought of that?
How much you think this will
yield, worked as it should?
It's horrible, Mr. Paulo.
A disgrace.
Ploughs.
There's nothing like ploughs.
I've thought of ploughs.
A manioc plantation.
A modern flour mill.
Money.
If I only had money!
This Pereira is an idiot,
an idiot!
I made a minute exposition...
demonstrating that it'd
be a great business.
He understood nothing!
The idiot!
There's nobody to understand
anything here, Mr. Paulo!
This land is poor.
Here you find only
politics and shamelessness.
Mr. Paulo...
maybe this del interests you.
20 Contos.
I need 20 Contos.
Padilha...
did you ever make a cigarette?
It's easier to by them
ready made.
But it's more expensive.
If you had made one,
you'd know it's more difficult
to make a thousand.
Now, it's more difficult
to earn 10 Cents
than to make a cigarette.
One Conto of Reis
is worth a thousand
bill of 10 Cents.
20 Contos of Reis...
are worth 20,000 bills
of 10 Cents.
You seem to ignore that.
You say 20 Contos...
as if you meant just
dirty paper!
- Money is money!
- I can count, Mr. Paulo.
But the ploughs cost...
Do you think I'm a capitalist?
- Do you want to ruin me?
- No, no.
And the mortgage of S?o Bernardo?
Nonsense...
S?o Bernardo isn't worth
chicken feed.
Pereira is right.
The father
ruined the property.
20 Contos, Mr. Paulo.
Everybody will profit.
We'll see, Padilha.
We'll see.
Money is money.
Padilha got the 20 Contos less
what he owed me and the interest.
He bought a printing plant
and founded a newspaper.
The independent
"Correio de Vi?osa"
which folded after only
four editions.
As regards agriculture
he was expecting...
machinery catalogues
that never came.
He started to hide from me.
When we met,
he tried not to see me.
The lest bill came due
on a winter day.
You're here? How are you?
Fine, thank you.
I thought about the business.
I thought about it a lot.
I can't even sleep any more.
I wanted to see you yesterday
but couldn't.
With this rain.
Forget the rain.
I have serious troubles.
I wanted to ask you for a
deferment with interest.
- Resources I don't have.
- And the flour mill?
And the ploughs?
A winter like this spoils
everything. Resources I don't have.
Deferment with interest...
isn't worth while.
We'll liquidate.
What you mean, liquidate!
I told you I can't!
Only if you take the
printing plant.
What printing plant?
You're an ass!
One does what one can -
using what one has.
Sure, I owe you.
But I can't pay like that.
If you stand me on my head...
you won't find a cent.
I'm broke.
That's not the way to talk.
Look, Padilha, the promissory
notes are due.
I already told you I'm broke.
Want me to steal?
I can't and finish!
What is finished?
It's just starting!
I'll take everything, you dog!
I'll leave you in your
underwear!
Patience, Mr. Paulo.
With noise we get nowhere.
- I'll pay, wait a few days.
- I'll wait not even for an hour.
I'm serious and
you talk nonsense!
You want an amicable solution?
Make a price for your property.
For him, S?o Bernardo was
an useless thing...
but he held it in regard.
There he hid bitterness
and poverty.
Bird-hunting, swimming
and sleeping.
He slept too much, afraid
to meet Mendon?a.
Make your price!
I always wanted to keep the
farm, Mr. Paulo.
What for?
S?o Bernardo is worthless!
I talk as a friend,
as a friend.
I don't like to see a man
with a rope round his neck.
Those lawyers are as
hungry as wolves!
If I sick Nogueira at you
you'll end up with a just
bundle on your back!
Lots of expenses, Mr. Padilha.
Lots of expenses!
Come on, give you price!
- 80 Contos.
- You're crazy.
A long time ago your father
wanted 50, and that was too much.
Much too much.
To-day the mill is in ruins.
The neighbors' cattle
broke the gates.
The houses are decayed.
And Mendon?a? What's for him?
I'll give you 30 Contos.
70, Mr. Paulo.
32.
- Mr. Paulo, please... 66.
- Not more than 32.
We haggled for hours and
came to an agreement.
I promised to pay in cash...
and with the house I had...
10 Contos.
Padilha put 7 Contos on the house
and 43 for S?o Bernardo.
I wrest another 2 Contos. 42 for
the property and 8 for the house.
Early next day, he put his
tail into the trap
and signed the deed.
I deducted the debt, interest,
the price of the house
and gave him 7 Contos,
550 Mil Reis.
And I didn't regret it!
You did wrong!
You shouldn't have bought the
property without consulting me.
Why? The old owner wasn't of age?
Of course.
But you should have made an
investigation first.
I don't want to investigate.
That's for you.
The old boundaries are only
provisory, did you know?
We better straighten this out!
Each one in his place!
Don't bother fixing the fence,
I'll throw it down again!
To make sure about the border.
The fence stays.
If you want to,
Mr. Mendon?a,
you may send for cedar wood
good wood for your building.
Thanks, no. Wood one
always finds.
There's always some around.
But, look, if you want to
barter some cattle...
Mr. Mendon?a,
about the boundaries
I think we can discuss them
some other day...
- at leisure.
- Sure.
In this 2nd year there where
some terrible difficulties.
Torturing work...
days and days, in sun and rain, with
machete, gun and cartridge-belt...
eating, during the rest
periods, some fried codfish...
and a hand-full of flour.
Casimiro.
I was visiting old Mendon?a.
I promised him a sheep.
Sunday is a holiday.
Elections.
I invited Mendon?a too.
We go to town.
We must give him a
hot welcome.
This business of men snooping
round the house each night...
is just not right.
You know what you have to do.
Sunday night, on his way back
from the election
Mendon?a fetched a bullet
in the small of the back...
he kicked the bucket right
there on the Bonsucesso road.
At the hour of the crime
I was in town
talking with the vicar
about the church
I was planning to build in
S?o Bernardo.
How terrible, my God!
- Mendon?a had enemies?
- Did he have enemies!
He had enemies like ticks!
To continue, Padre Silvestre.
How much costs a bell?
The tough guy
I met one day
in Mendon?a's house
also came to a bad end.
A clean-up...
this sort of people almost
never dies well.
Poison snakes take them...
or drink...
others get themselves shot.
One I lost at the stone-quarry.
The crow-bar slipped, hit his
chest, and that was that.
He left a widow and small
children. They got lost.
One of the boys fell
into the fire...
one got eaten up by worms...
the last one got angina...
and the woman hanged herself.
In those 5 years I often wanted
to give up...
by-passing difficulties...
so many curves!
Do you think I did wrong?
The truth is... I never knew
which were my good deeds...
and which were my bad ones.
For doing a lot of good things
I suffered losses...
an I profited from
many bad things.
Since I always wanted to own
the lands of S?o Bernardo,
I considered legitimate any
acts helping me to do so.
With your permission,
Excellency,
we want you to know
that we are very proud of
your visit here.
Your Excellency will remember...
I liked your property
very much.
- Excellent real estate.
- Thank you, Excellency.
The school?
Where is this school?
It's been taken care of,
your Excellency.
I already asked Dr. Nogueira to
file the necessary papers.
School!
What did I care if people could
read of if they were analphabets?
These government people are
all cracked.
Take an educated picker
of beans...
and watch the result!
Send me Padilha here tomorrow.
After he cures his hangover.
I must talk to him, urgently.
Don't forget!
All devils! This visit brings
me a lot of benefits!
A capital! I want to see
how much it will pay me.
All devils! The school
will be a capital.
The church-funding was
also a capital.
All devils! A capital.
- What legs! Greek columns!
- And the breasts!
And her breasts!
She's an educated woman.
We came with our Padilha,
here.
Such a nice holiday, so
we came on foot.
- Whose legs?
- Madalena's.
- Who?
- A teacher. You don't know her?
- She's pretty!
- Educated.
A brunette, about 30.
- 30 years, more or less.
- 20... if that much!
You never saw her closely,
- or you wouldn't say that!
- What? I saw her...
at Marcela's birthday party.
20!
You saw her from afar! At night,
it's different at day.
- 30!
- 25...
Very well, Padilha,
25 so close the matter.
You'll have supper with me.
You can return by car.
Padilha, I must talk to you.
It's like this, I'm thinking
of opening a school.
Very well. So you decided to
follow my advice.
Good.
I was thinking about the school.
Get Madalena, Mr. Paulo.
Excellent acquisition. Learned...
An ornament for the house,
Mr. Paulo.
Nonsense! Am I looking
for ornaments?
I didn't say I didn't want her.
But that I was
a very busy man.
But I asked about the salary.
I asked about the salary.
That depends.
I don't know how much
you're worth.
100 Mil Reis a month.
Let's say 150, as a trial.
Room... board...
good conversation...
150 Mil Reis a month, and
8 hours of work a day.
Agreed?
But let me tell you:
Work is work
Nobody drinks here.
- Only guests drink here.
- I understand. I'll think it over.
As regards drinking, no need
to tell me: I don't drink.
Sometimes during meal,
but not always.
And from time to time,
if a friend offers me one.
I might accept.
That morning I found myself
thinking about marriage.
I got the idea without having
seen any girl.
I don't bother with love,
you must have noticed.
I always thought that females
are strange creatures.
Difficult to govern.
So I didn't feel inclined
to anyone.
What I wanted was to get
an heir...
for the lands of S?o Bernardo.
Robbery! That's what is
categorically demonstrated
by the philosophers in all
the books.
More than 3,5 miles of land,
with houses, weirs,
cattle, woods... all belonging
to one man. That's wrong!
That's right. Mr. Padilha
is right.
I don't understand, I'm stupid,
but I lose sleep thinking.
One kills oneself working for
strangers. Right, Casimiro?
Nonsense. The land has owners
since time began.
What you mean, owners!
One kills oneself working to
enrich others.
Working at what? What are
you working at, parasite?
- Idler! Scullion!
- It's nothing, Mr. Paulo!
I was just explaining some
theories to the people.
Not on my land!
Get lost!
Behind my gates, nobody
pisses out of line.
Get your asses out of here!
With a teacher like that
I'm fucked! Fucked!
What are you teaching your
pupils, you scoundrel?
E eu meto a m?o em cumbuca?
Would I propagate
subversive ideas?
Ungrateful dunce!
Chicken brain!
You got the wrong boat!
This time I'll let it pass...
but if I catch you again,
like jumping flies
I'll call the Police.
This is not Russia!
Hear me? And get lose!
Sorry.
Excuse me.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome, Dona Gloria.
This Great Western
us rubbish. A mess.
This isn't a coach, it's
a chicken coop.
- They're no good?
- The worst there is, Dona Gloria.
I think we met before.
I don't remember.
I have very bad memory.
At the judge's, last month.
You were with a girl whose eyes...
Oh, right.
Here is a very good article
about agriculture.
The author knows his stuff.
Now I remember.
You were with Mr. Nogueira,
discussing politics.
That's it.
- Do you live in the capital?
- No, in the hinterland.
- Vi?osa?
So do I. Recently.
Small town.
- An ugly small town, isn't it?
- Small town? And the big ones?
All ugly. I like the country...
understand?
My God, the country is for
animals.
- Do you live there?
- S?o Bernardo.
It's a nice farm.
There's none of the dirty
water one drinks around here.
Mud? No, madam... There's all
comfort. Hygiene.
I don't like it. I was
brought up in town.
Leaving it, I'm like a fish
on dry land. I was hoping for
a transference to a school at
the capital. But I don't know
- any influential people.
- You're a school-teacher?
No, my niece is.
That girl that was with you
at Dr. Magalh?es'?
What's the name of you niece,
Dona Gloria?
Madalena.
She was a brilliant student,
you see.
Wait, Nogueira and Gondim
were telling me about her.
Attractive girl, beautiful...
Of course...
Gondim talked a lot...
He is a boring fine talker.
A girl like that,
hiding away in a hole, Mr...
Paulo Hon?rio, Dona Gloria.
It's a pity.
It's silly to teach the ABC.
Excuse my indiscretion.
How much does your niece
make teaching the ABC?
- 180 Mil Reis.
- How much?
180 Mil Reis.
That's a disgraceful, Madame.
How the devil can a Christian
live with that?
You want me to tell you?
It makes one angry to see
decent folk
subjected to such misery.
I have servants who never went to
school and who make more than that.
Why don't you advise your niece
to abandon this profession?
Pleased to meet you.
I already knew you by sight.
But I didn't know you
were alone.
- We met some days ago, didn't we?
- A month ago.
Exactly.
By the way, I was
telling this to your aunt.
A great traveling companion.
Dona Marcela told me that you
have a beautiful farm.
Beautiful? I didn't notice.
It might be beautiful.
What I know is,
it's quite a good farm.
The invitation stands.
And you promise that you'll
stay a few days at the farm.
I hope you bring the teacher.
It's only 10 minutes by car.
No.
No, why?
With the holidays...
Excursions...
that's for rich people.
And then what would your
family say to have two strangers?
Family? What family, Madame?
I never had one.
- I live alone with God.
- Then it's worse. Inconvenient.
Pity. It's such a nice place
to rest.
Well, so it's over.
If it's inconvenient,
I haven't said a word.
But now, why inconvenient?
I'd like
to show the Peking
dukes to Dona Gloria.
Do you know Peking ducks,
Dona Madalena?
Not yet.
That's it, one studies a lot,
I wonder what for?
Carrier?
- Shall we rest a while?
- Thank you. I'll get to the hotel.
You're very badly installed
here, ladies.
Good bye.
If you want to see S?o Bernardo
I'll send you a car.
Of course. And thank you
for your company.
You're very welcome.
Let's go.
Dr. Nogueira,
- who is this Dona Gloria?
- The teacher's aunt?
- Yes. How's her family?
- In which sense?
In general. I traveled with her in
the train today. She's sympathetic.
But what's your interest?
She indirectly touched on
an ambition of hers:
Her niece's transference.
- I never saw the director of...
- Public Instruction?
I know Silveira,
who makes the rules.
Perhaps this transference
won't be difficult.
- Lf they deserve it, of course.
- But she's an excellent teacher.
Noble character. And you want
to take her away. Cheers.
If she leaves, do you know
what will happen?
They'll send us and
old analphabet.
Yes, you're right.
Gondim, some time ago you
spoke to me about a teacher.
Madalena?
I met her the other day.
I liked her. Is she serious?
A great girl. Only the articles
she writes for the "Cruzeiro"...
- So she writes?
- Very educated.
Do you have anything
to do with her?
Projects. I want her to
teach in S?o Bernardo.
She might not accept.
To live in the wilderness...
That's the aunt, an old fool.
But the other one, if she's
as bright as you say...
Yes, it might be advantageous
for her. More money, right?
- Of course.
- Did you already speak to her?
No. If I had, I wouldn't
consult you.
Gondim... do me a favor.
Sound her out.
I hardly know her.
You do it yourself.
No.
I must get back to
S?o Bernardo today.
And then I wouldn't know how
to treat people like that.
Complicated.
Gondim... talk to her, please.
All right.
I'll talk about the landscape,
country poetry...
the simplicity of the pupils
and if she's not convinced yet
I'll hit her with patriotism!
How are you?
- Fine, thanks, and you?
- How is the farm?
- I can't complain.
And your school and Dona Gloria?
Nothing new?
Of course you're not interested
in the farm.
I'm here for another reason.
The offer you made me
through Gondim?
More or less.
I should have told you
that I can't accept.
The Devil! And the pay rise,
what about that?
It's not convenient. I'm a
public teacher 6 years now.
I won't lose my security
like that.
Those private schools are open
today and closed tomorrow.
Congratulations for your
prudence.
We really would have taken chances.
- Lf you say so yourself...
- I do.
I have another offer for you.
To be frank, that school
business was a pretext...
What I have to say is
very difficult...
You must agree...
But let me come to the point.
Let me be frank, heart in hand.
Here it is:
I decided to get married.
You please me.
I liked you the fist time
I saw you.
It's clear that I'm not the
ideal man you've dreamt of.
I'm 40 years old.
You must be 20.
27.
Twenty-seven?
Nobody's give you more than 20.
Very well...
We're getting closer.
With a bit of good will...
we can be in church
next week.
Your proposal is very
advantageous for me.
Very advantageous.
But I must think it over.
Anyway I'm very grateful to you.
It's true I'm as poor as Job,
and all alone.
Don't say that, girl.
And your education?
And your person?
You don't count that?
Do you want to know something?
If we reach an agreement
it's me who gets the swell deal.
How are you, Dona Madalena?
- Very well, thanks, and you?
I found the keys.
Mr. Paulo Hon?rio, you here?
Good to see you.
- Congratulations.
- What's that?
Your marriage. Everybody talks
of it. You didn't tell.
When is it going to be?
You're drunk!
I didn't think it a secret.
Everybody knows.
Idiot!
You see?
They're talking about it.
It's all they talk about,
according to Gondim.
I'll never come back here.
In the first place, I don't
want to aggrieve you.
And then, it's ridiculous.
Of course you've thought
it over.
I always wanted to live
in the country.
Awake early, take care of
the garden.
You have a garden there,
don't you?
Why don't you wait a
little more?
To be frank with you,
I don't love you.
Now listen to that!
I wouldn't believe you if
you had told me you did.
I don't like people
who just fall in love
and make rash decisions.
Especially one like this.
Let's set the day.
There's no hurry.
In a year, perhaps.
I must prepare mylself.
A year?
A business after a year
is no good.
What's missing?
A white dress one can make
in 24 hours.
Can we tell your aunt?
All right.
Dona Gloria, let me inform you
that I and your niece will be
hitched up in a week.
To speak property,
we are going to be married.
Of course you'll come with us.
It's a big house.
There's a lot of shacks too,
and where 2 can eat, 3 can.
Starting a new life,
right, Paulo?
Very well.
Quite a woman.
How much do you make,
Mr. Ribeiro?
200 Mil Reis.
That's very little indeed.
When he was working for Brito,
he got 150 a month.
So, 200, bed and board,
washing included, isn't bad.
That's true. I'm all right.
I get enough money.
And if you had 10 children?
That's enough.
You too?
Take care of your Romans.
Don't be angry. We all have
our opinions.
Sure. But it's stupid to
voice opinions
about things one doesn't
understand.
The Devil! I'm not
discussing grammar!
The business of my farm
I understand.
You make me lose patience!
That was imprudent.
It was. Inconsiderate.
One must think before
one speaks.
Certainly.
I forgot they were employees.
Sorry I was inconvenient.
Very inconvenient!
Now you exaggerate. Why?
It was a misunderstanding.
Thank you. Little sugar.
That's the word: Misunderstanding.
Things here are different
from outside.
Cinema, bars, invitations,
shouting, billiards - the Devil!
Here there is nothing of that.
And sometimes on doesn't
know how to spend the money.
Do you want me to tell you
something?
I started out in life with
100 Mil Reis.
Yes, Ma'am, 100 Mil Reis,
and borrowed.
Well, they went a long way.
I believe you.
I still don't know how things
are here. I'll get used to it.
What I feel...
I never regret anything.
What's done is done.
But then, a sad face never
helped anybody.
If you want to join
Dona Gloria...
She didn't pay attention to
our talk, poor thing.
It was just talk.
It was on for the Devil.
Will you do me a favor?
Talk to her, tell her
I didn't mean to hurt her.
An elderly lady, respectable.
That I didn't mean to,
do you hear?
I'm like that, rather
ill-tempered.
Madalena,
why don't you take care of
the correspondence?
Do you want a salary?
Of course.
Later we talk about that.
Mr. Ribeiro will open an
account for you.
But then, in spite of all
precautions,
all the asbestos we used
to isolate our attritions...
new discords arose.
Then, there were many...
In the morning, Madalena
worked at the office but
in the afternoon she went out and
visited the huts of the tenants.
That's bad.
Marciano!
Marciano!
Marciano!
Go to work!
- I've already finished, Mr. Paulo.
- Finished, nothing!
Yes I did. I swear it by
this light that shines on us.
You lie! The cattle
are starving! Gnawing wood!
Just now it was filled.
I never saw cattle eat more.
Nobody can live here
any more.
No rest...
Are you getting cute,
you bastard?
To work, you tramp!
You are to blame.
Filling their block-heads
with stories.
I wasn't filling anything,
Mr. Paulo. That's injustice.
He came to complain, truly.
I even told him:
"You better feed the cattle,
Marciano."
He didn't believe me and hung
around, twaddling. I was sick of it.
By God, I can't stand
the face of his.
Insolence...
You give the foot
and they want the hand.
Taking fresh air?
It's horrible.
Pardon?
- It's horrible.
- What?
Your behavior.
How barbarous. Preposterous.
What a story, the Devil. I don't
understand. Explain.
How can you beat a human
being like that?
Ah, yes, because of Marciano.
I thought it was something
serious. It frightened me.
To beat a man like that!
How terrible!
That was nothing. You're
drowning in a puddle.
Those people only work if they
must. One must kick them.
And then, Marciano is not
really a man.
- Why?
- Who knows. God's will.
- He's weakling.
- Sure. You're always humiliating him.
I protest! When I met him,
he was already a weaking.
I suppose he always was
kicked around.
Nonsense. He was born
a weakling.
That's cruelty...
Why did you do that?
Because I thought
it should be done.
And I'm not used to explain
my actions, understand?
Big deal!
A guy got boxed 2 or 3 times.
What the devil have you with
Marciano to care so much?
We must help Dr. Caetano.
If I could convince Madalena
that she's not right...
If I explained that we
must live in peace.
She doesn't understand me.
We don't understand
each other.
What will happen not be
what me hope for.
Absurdity!
Not to hear the tic tac
of the clock.
What time is it?
When I sat down here
I heard the pendulum.
I heard it very well.
It would be convenient
to wind the clock.
But I'm unable to get up.
Look at that!
Are you sleeping? Wake up!
Houses, church, road,
weir, pastures...
are like new.
The cotton field is almost
3,5 miles by 2.
The woods are rich.
Yellow-trees, cedars...
See the cotton-gin,
the saw mill...
All this just grew here,
all by itself...
To hell and gone,
to the pest-house!
Go see that brat.
Must things be that way?
Let the world come down!
The boy screams his head off!
Madalena got a baby. A boy.
Really, it must be delicious
to live in S?o Bernardo.
It's beautiful for outsiders.
We here get used to it.
I don't keep this as an
ornament. It's to be sold.
- The flowers too?
- Everything!
- Flowers, vegetables, fruits...
- There,
that's common-sense.
If all Brazilians would
only think like that
- we wouldn't have so much misery.
- Politics, Padre Silvestre?
Why not? You must agree that
we're at the brink of an abyss.
Very well said.
- What abyss?
- The system...
dishonesty... villainy...
Who're the villains?
I'm not to accuse anybody.
But facts are facts.
- Look around.
- It's best to point out.
Whom to point out? The
dominant class are rotten.
The country is going down.
What happened to you
for you to talk like that?
You sound as
if your income didn't pay
your expenses.
I suppose business goes
very well.
But it's not about me.
State finances are sick.
And are getting worse.
But don't make a mistake,
a revolution will come.
That would do it!
Spoil everything!
- Why?
- Are you also a revolutionary?
I only wonder why?
Why! No credits,
money devaluation.
Imported merchandises get
deadly expensive.
And then, this political
complication.
That would be great! Then
everything would get well.
I wonder why Padre Silvestre
wants a revolution.
- What advantage would you have?
- None.
No advantage at all.
But I think the collectivity
would gain with this.
Just wait. They're already
building a fire to fry you in.
- Literature.
- Literature no.
But something good
might come out of it.
Fascism.
That's what you think.
We'd get communism.
God beware!
- Afraid. Mr. Ribeiro?
- I already saw many changes -
- all to the worse.
- None of this.
Those absurd doctrines
don't prosper amongst us.
Communism is misery,
degradation of society.
At Dom Pedro's time
there was little money
and a Conto of Reis
made you rich.
But there was abundance.
Pumpkins rotting on the land.
Castor beans, cotton seed,
were worthless.
After the proclamation of the
Republic, they became dear.
That's why I say
changes are always for
the worse.
A Nation without God!
They shot all the priests.
Not one got away.
And the drunken soldatesca
broke images and
danced on the altars.
Madness! Is that possible?
On the altars?
Thy did not! Anti-revolutionary
propaganda!
Do you work for them,
Padre Silvestre?
No. I stay quietly in
my corner.
But I do think that the
Government is no good.
I do think there must be
a reform.
As for those ideas,
this communism -
I don't believe they could
prosper here amongst us.
The people has religion.
The people is Catholic.
I don't think so. Nobody
knows the doctrine.
If a Protestant preaches
the gospel
all the devotees from our
processions will listen.
Others preach Spiritsm.
And the rabble believes
in witchcraft.
Some even worship trees.
Many enter Catholicism as if
it were a hotel.
They chose their dish
with great fastidiousness.
The more advanced ones
are sceptics.
You're wrong,
Padre Silvestre.
They hear the Mass,
but they are no Catholics.
You can look at it from one
side - or from the other.
In this case...
what would you lose,
Mr. Ribeiro?
I don't konw. I might.
All that disgrace.
At least here I have
a piece of bread.
If this disgrace come,
I'd get not even this.
No, Mr. Ribeiro, you're wrong.
Madalena tried to convince him.
But I didn't understand what
she was saying.
All of a sudden I felt
a suspicion.
I had felt a sentiment
like this before.
When?
When?
It got clear in a moment!
It was that same day in
the office
when Madalena gave me
the letters to sign.
A plot with Padilha
to spoil the good employees.
Yes, Sir!
A Communist!
I building -
she tearing down!
Corruption!
Dissolution of society!
Padre Silvestre is right.
Religion is a bridle.
Nonsense! Who's a horse to
need a bridle?
What would be Madalena's
religion?
None, perhaps.
She'd never spoken of this.
Materialist!
I remembered Costa talk about
historical materialism.
What did this mean?
I truly worry little
about the other world.
I'm for God, heavenly paymaster
of my workers
so badly rewarded here on earth
and for the Devil
future torturer of the thief
of a priced cow of mine.
I therefore have
a little religion...
albeit I think it is partly
dispensable in a man.
But a woman without religion.
Horrible!
Communist!
Materialist!
A nice marriage!
Friendship with this
imbecile Padilha.
What were they talking about?
I have confidence -
But I magnified Nogueira's
beautiful eyes...
his well-made clothes,
his insinuating voice...
mixing it with Madalena's
materialsm and communism
and I started to get jealous.
Madalena, Dona Gloria,
Padilha... what a crowd!
I wanted do grab Madalena
and kick even her palate.
An educated woman.
All I needed was proof.
To find her in bed
with another man.
Please show me this.
There's nothing to show.
It's only for me.
All right.
But please show me.
I already told you it is
of interest only for myself!
Will you please show me
this letter?
Go to hell! Look after
your own affairs!
Give me this letter, you cow!
People hear you outside.
Damn, fuck yourself!
This girl, face like a saint...
Fuck yourself.
If you're not satisfied, get lost.
You and your niece.
Go away both of you.
Fuck yourself, both of you.
- Give me this letter, you bitch!
- Wretch!
- Give me this letter, bitch!
- Wretch!
- Murderer!
- Bitch!
Madalena, Dona Gloria and Padilha
go all fuck yourself!
Murderer!
What did she know of my life?
I never confided in her,
everybody has his secrets.
It would be interesting if
one would tell everything.
Everybody has his vices.
Madalena, coming from a school,
must have many.
Could I know her past?
Her present was bad.
She didn't call Casimiro a
murderer, but me!
Nex she would insist that
Casimiro and I were one.
Madalena, Dona Gl?ria, Padilha...
Go fuck yourselves!
Go fuck yourselves!
After calming down
I changed my mind.
Madalena was honest, of course.
She didn't show the paper
because of her strong will.
Dignity. Of couse.
Stupid jealousy.
Better behaved than her,
only in a monastery.
And good even to the
wild animals.
After the morning's violence,
I felt full of optimism.
And my inherent brutality
turned against Padilha.
Scoundrel!
Fire him.
At your service,
Mr. Paulo Hon?rio.
Bad news for you.
I don't need your services
any more.
Why? What did I do?
You ask me that?
You should know what you did!
I didn't do anything.
What have I done wrong?
I'm worse off than a
prisoner in jail.
I don't go out.
If I try,
Casimiro follows me.
What have I done?
Show me one thing!
I don't give explications.
All right.
Always busy, and now this.
Year in, year out
the stupid employee works.
Doing his duty,
trying to please.
When one expects a raise,
there comes a kick-out.
Give me at least a few days,
to get my affairs in order.
I can't leave like this,
with empty hands.
- You have a month.
- Thanks very much.
And one must be grateful on top.
Well done!
If I hadn't helped your wife,
this wouldn't have happened.
- What?!
- Very helpful, yes!
"Go get me a book, Mr. Padilha"
and there I'd go.
"Get me a paper, Mr. Padilha"
I'd get it.
"Copy this page,
Mr. Padilha" I'd copy.
"Some oranges, Mr. Padilha"
I even got her oranges!
Helpful.
That woman was the reason
for my disgrace.
- Watch your tongue!
- What did I say?
I was helpful.
That's why you send me away.
No.
That's not it!
It's because you were intriguing.
- Making trouble!
- What intrigues?
Which trouble?
You can't show me one!
Am I to blame if your wife
has advanced ideas?
- It's not because of that.
- Then I don't know.
Listen, Padilha...
I see a lot of things
and close my eyes.
Now when I say that you
were making trouble
it's because you were
making trouble!
Say it then.
My conscience is clear.
Say it!
If one knows, one tells.
Don't come me like this.
You told Madalena lies.
Didn't you talk badly about me?
Did you? Tell me!
I did not, Mr. Paulo.
I don't know anything.
Don't give me that, man.
I heard you.
All right, if you heard me,
one can't argue.
Of course you heard
what I didn't say.
I heard what you said.
I hear well!
Or you heard about
Mendon?a's death.
Dona Madalena knew.
- Knew what?
- What the people say. Slander.
I explained everything
and defended you.
"Dona Madalena,
that's an old story."
"To mess with it doesn't give
his life back".
"Old Mendon?a
was a blighter
who went about stealing
other people's land."
"Now don't believe everything
they tell you around here."
"Mr. Paulo has a good heart,
he wouldn't kill a bird".
Padilha...
why did you say Madalena
was your disgrace?
What do you want?
Didn't I lose my job
because of her?
It was her. And look here,
I don't like that.
Many times I said, openly.
"Dona Madalena, Mr. Paulo is
set against socialism."
"You better leave
this sort of talk".
There you are.
I'm blameless.
I'm blameless!
Damn...
What were you talking
about so much?
Literature, politics...
Art, religion...
An educated woman,
Dona Madalena.
Intelligent. A library.
Well, all this is no news.
You know better then I what
sort of wife you have.
You know the wife
you have.
I knew nothing.
That was exactly what
spoiled my appetite.
To live with somebody
in the same house
to eat at the same table
to sleep in the same bed
and to discover years later
that she was a stranger.
Who's there?
Who's there?!
Flesh and blood or a ghost?
Won't you answer?
What was it?
Your partners surround the house.
But be sure
any day now...
one of them will get
dropped dead.
He whistled, didn't he?
Did you fix an encounter
here, right on top of me?
That's all I needed!
Do you want me to leave?
Do you want me to leave,
your cow? Don't be shy!
Stop that crying.
Just because they whistle
in the orchard
or walk about in the garden
you don't have to be
awash in tears.
You better stop this magic.
If I had proof that
Madalena was innocent
I'd give her a life
she couldn't imagine.
I'd buy her dresses to
last for ever.
Expensive hats
dozens of silk stockings...
I'd be attentive
I'd call the best doctors
to cure her paleness...
I'd let her give clothes
to the women of the workers.
If I knew that she
betrayed me...
Ah, if I knew that
she betrayed me...
I'd kill her! I'd open a vein
in her throat, slowly...
so she'd bleed a whole day.
Another one, Mr. Paulo!
What the hell!
If that fly were any good,
if she were smart
she would be here to
enjoy all this beauty.
In spite of being only
reasonably impressionable
I'm convinced that this is
not a bad world.
8 meters over the ground
one has the vague sensation
of being 8 meters tall.
And when, that tall, we see
cattle herds at our feet
plantations covering large
tracts of land...
All ours.
And we see the smoke that
rises from our houses.
Where there live people who
respect us, fear us.
They might even love us,
since they depend on us.
A great calm involves us.
And we feel good,
we feel strong.
And if there are enemies
nearby, dying...
even if they are
unimportant enemies
that a boy could finish off
with a club...
our feeling of power
becomes steady
and augments.
In the face of this
a doll that traces
invisible lines
on paper that's just only visible
deserves little consideration.
So I came down in peace with God
and with mankind.
Son of a bitch!
A letter, man!
Am I some sort of Marciano?
Goddamn band of sons of bitches!
Turn around. We've got business.
Still?
What were you doing here?
Praying?
You might just say
you were praying!
Still?
You wrote a letter.
That's the way it is.
Go away!
Go away!
Let me come see it, Mr. Paulo.
Of course.
I'll come back later.
It's still early.
There's a letter.
I must know, do you understand?
So?
I read it.
Say something.
What for?
Three years we lead this
horrible life.
When we try to understand
each other
I'm certain that we will
end up fighting.
This letter.
The rest is in the office
on my desk.
This leaf probably was blown
into the garden-
Whom to?
You'll see.
It's on the desk.
It's not a big deal,
you'll see.
Well...
Will you forgive me for the
troubles I cause you, Paulo?
- I had my reasons, I suppose.
- That's not the point.
Will you forgive me?
What spoilt everything
was your jealousy.
Be a friend to my aunt, Paulo.
When all this fighting
has passed
you'll recognize that
she's a good person.
This misunderstanding.
She's to blame too.
A bit sour.
Ribeiro is an honest working
man, don't you think?
Yes.
Once he was a gambler
cards hark...
today he's garbage.
An honest fellow!
Poor devil!
- And Padilha...
- No, no. This is cheating.
It's not right for you to
be on his side.
- A scoundrel!
Marciano...
you're rude to Marciano...
Oh well...
That's bullshit...
Don't be angry...
- What I wanted...
- What did you want?
I don't know!
If I should die suddenly...
What's that for a story, woman?
- That's really too fast.
- No.
You know very well how my end will
be. If I should suddenly die...
Will you stop this, woman.
Why talk like this?
Give my dresses to the family
of Caetano and to Rosa.
Give my books to Ribeiro,
Padilha and Gondim.
What a stupid way to talk!
I feel like going on a trip.
After the harvest, Ribeiro
can take care of my farm -
we go to Bahia,
to Rio de Janeiro,
let's stay away a few months
and rest.
You take care of your stomach,
have fun, fill up...
It's good to get new air.
The whole time in this hole,
working like a Negro...
The we'll have a look at
S?o Paulo. All right?
This morning, there were
flowers in the forest.
I counted four.
In a week they'll be beautiful.
Pity they fall so fast.
What do you tell me
about the trip?
Yes, I was praying.
Not quite praying,
I don't know how to pray.
No time.
I wrote so much that
my fingers hurt.
Small letters,
to economize paper.
Before exams I only slept
2, 3 hours a night.
I didn't have any protection,
understand?
In spite of everything, our
house was humid and cold.
In the winter I took my books
into the kitchen.
I could go to church...
I studies always, always,
afraid not to pass the exams.
The houses of the workers here
are also humid and cold.
It was so sad.
I was praying for them.
For all of you.
Praying!
I was just talking.
My God, it's so late,
and here I'm talking.
Farewell, Paulo.
I will rest.
For God, nothing is impossible.
For God, nothing is impossible.
For two years Madalena is dead
now. Two difficult years.
I'm a crushed man.
III?
No.
I'm in perfect health.
Thanks God, I never
needed a doctor.
I don't suffer from disease.
It's evident that,
once this crisis is past,
the farm could go back
to normal business.
Everybody killing themselves
working again,
eating flour and dried cod-fish.
Trucks could roll again,
loaded with merchandise.
The farm could resurrect
with busy noises.
But what for?
"What for?",
you'll ask me.
Behind this noisy bustle
there would be many tears
and curses.
Little children,
devoured by vermin,
would die slowly in the
humid, cold huts.
And Madalena wouldn't be here any
more, to send them medicines.
Men and women would be
but sad beasts.
Beasts!
Because the people who worked
for me were just beasts.
There were some trained
ones, like Padilha...
and wild ones,
like Casimiro Lopes.
And the others, harmless ones,
who worked the plantations,
Tame calves.
I raised myself above
my own class.
I think I raised quite high.
I'm sure that the manuals
for commerce,
agriculture and cattle raising,
which constitutes the base
for my instruction,
didn't make me a better man
than I was before.
Then, at least,
I didn't dream to be this ferocious
exploiter I have become.
I think I lost my way.
To-day,
I don't sing and I don't laugh.
I always think of Madalena.
If it were possible
to start over again...
If it were possible
to start over again...
everything would happen
just the same way.
I simply can't change myself and
that distresses me most of all.
Madalena came here
filled with good feelings...
and intentions.
They shattered on
my brutality and my egotism.
I don't think I was always
a brutal egotist.
But my job brought out those
bad qualities of mine.
Mu terrible suspiciousness
makes me see only enemies.
This suspiciousness is also
a consequence of my job.
This way of life that
destroyed me.
I'm a cripple.
My heart must be very small,
my brain full of empty spaces,
my nerves different from those
of other people.
And a enormous nose...
an enormous mouths...
enormous fingers...
It's horrible.
If only somebody would come!
But they're all asleep.
If only my son would cry!
But not even for my son
I feel friendship.
What misery!
Casimiro Lopes sleeps.
Marciano sleeps.
Scoundrels!
And I'll stay here,
in the dark,
till I don't know what time.
Till, dead-tired,
my head will rest
on the table,
and I may sleep a few minutes.