Around Brazil

Plot

This landmark documentary captures the extraordinary 1917 expedition led by Marshall Cândido Mariano Rondon through Brazil's unexplored Center-West and Northern regions. Major Luiz Thomaz Reis, serving as the official cinematographer, documents the journey as the team navigates treacherous rivers, encounters indigenous tribes, and constructs telegraph lines through the dense Amazon rainforest. The film showcases the immense challenges faced by the expedition, including hostile terrain, dangerous wildlife, and encounters with previously uncontacted native communities. Through remarkable footage, viewers witness the first cinematic documentation of these remote regions, capturing both the natural beauty and the cultural diversity of Brazil's interior. The compilation, released in 1932, brings together fragments from three of Reis's films, creating a comprehensive record of this pivotal exploration that helped map and integrate Brazil's vast territories.

Historical Background

The film was created during a pivotal period in Brazilian history when the country was seeking to integrate its vast interior territories and establish national sovereignty over remote regions. The 1910s-1920s saw the Brazilian government, through the Rondon Commission, undertake massive infrastructure projects including telegraph lines and railways to connect the Amazon region with the rest of the country. This coincided with the early development of Brazilian cinema, which was still finding its identity beyond imported European productions. The expedition took place shortly after World War I, a time when international interest in exploration and scientific documentation was at its peak. The film's release in 1932 came during a period of political upheaval in Brazil, just before the 1930 Revolution that would bring Getúlio Vargas to power, making it a valuable document of Brazil's territorial expansion during the First Republic.

Making Of

The making of 'Around Brazil' was itself an epic adventure of endurance and innovation. Major Luiz Thomaz Reis, a military officer with no formal film training, learned cinematography through practice and necessity. During the expedition, he had to develop creative solutions for filming in extreme conditions, including building waterproof containers for his equipment and developing film in makeshift darkrooms set up in jungle clearings. The expedition team included several indigenous guides who were essential for navigation and survival, and their relationship with the filmmakers is documented throughout the footage. Reis often had to film while traveling by canoe, climbing mountains, or during sudden tropical storms. The compilation process in 1932 involved carefully selecting and editing footage from hundreds of reels shot over multiple years, with Reis working to preserve the chronological narrative of the expedition while highlighting its most significant moments.

Visual Style

The cinematography in 'Around Brazil' was revolutionary for its time, considering the extreme conditions under which it was shot. Major Luiz Thomaz Reis employed various innovative techniques including long tracking shots from moving canoes, time-lapse photography of river journeys, and carefully composed portraits of indigenous peoples. The film demonstrates remarkable technical proficiency in exposure control, particularly in the challenging lighting conditions of the dense jungle canopy. Reis often used wide shots to establish the scale of the landscape, contrasting them with intimate close-ups that captured human emotions and cultural details. The camera work shows influence from contemporary nature documentaries while maintaining a distinct Brazilian perspective focused on exploration and national development.

Innovations

The film represents several significant technical achievements for early cinema. Major Reis developed specialized camera mounts for filming from moving boats and horseback, allowing for smoother tracking shots than typical of the period. He pioneered techniques for filming in high humidity and extreme temperatures, including custom-built ventilation for camera housings. The expedition's use of multiple cameras to capture events from different angles was innovative for documentary work of this era. Perhaps most significantly, the film demonstrates early mastery of the compilation documentary format, skillfully weaving together footage shot over several years into a coherent narrative. The preservation of the nitrate film stock through tropical conditions represents another technical triumph of the production.

Music

The original 1932 release featured a live musical score composed by Brazilian classical composer Heitor Villa-Lobos, who incorporated indigenous musical themes and Amazonian sounds into his orchestration. The soundtrack used traditional Brazilian instruments alongside classical orchestral arrangements to create a unique sonic landscape that complemented the visual journey. Later restorations have attempted to recreate this original score based on historical documents and Villa-Lobos's sketches from the period. The music was designed to enhance both the epic nature of the expedition and the cultural authenticity of the indigenous encounters.

Memorable Scenes

• The dramatic crossing of the Madeira River during storm season, showing the expedition's small canoes battling massive waves and currents
• The first contact with the Nambikwara tribe, capturing their initial reactions to the film crew and their technology
• The construction of the telegraph line through dense jungle, showing workers clearing paths and climbing enormous trees
• A breathtaking aerial view (from a makeshift platform) of the confluence of the Rio Negro and Amazon rivers
• The ceremonial dance of the Xingu tribe, one of the first moving image records of this cultural practice

What Critics Said

Upon its release in 1932, 'Around Brazil' was hailed as a monumental achievement in both exploration and cinema. Brazilian critics praised its technical excellence and historical importance, with newspapers calling it 'a testament to Brazilian courage and progress.' International critics at the Venice Film Festival marveled at the footage's clarity and the unprecedented access it provided to remote regions. Modern film historians consider it a pioneering work in ethnographic cinema, though contemporary scholars also critically examine its colonial perspective and the power dynamics inherent in its production. The film is now recognized as a crucial document of early 20th-century exploration methodology and the development of documentary film techniques in challenging environments.

What Audiences Thought

Contemporary Brazilian audiences were fascinated by the film's depiction of their country's vast and mysterious interior, many seeing these regions for the first time on screen. The film became popular in educational settings and was shown widely in schools and cultural centers throughout Brazil. International audiences, particularly in Europe and North America, were captivated by the exotic imagery and adventure narrative, though some screenings were criticized for sensationalizing indigenous cultures. The film developed a cult following among adventure and exploration enthusiasts, and it continues to be studied by anthropologists and film scholars who appreciate its dual value as both entertainment and historical document.

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