Name: O Terror da Vermelha
Genre: Short
Duration: 35 min
Cast: Arnaldo Albuquerque, Maria Salomé da Cunha Araújo, Geraldo Cabeludo

A problematic underground and avant-garde experience.

Here's an avant-garde experience from poet/lyricist and occasion actor Torquato Neto in his directorial debut (actually he made another film previous to this one but the movie was shown to his friends in 1971 and then disappeared from circulation, only getting its storyboards preserved and later on turned into a HQ years later). Therefore, "O Terror da Vermelha" becomes Torquato's only directorial effort - he also wrote the script and appears in a role along with his parents. Sadly, Mr. Neto never got the chance to see the film's release since he committed suicide one day after his birthday.

The movie doesn't actually have a story. It basically follows a serial killer (Edmar Oliveira) searching for his new victims while walking around in the streets of the neighborhood of Vermelha, a small town in the state of Piauí, near Teresina I think (in the research I did, the actual Vermelha exists, it's not fictional but the film was not filmed there). So, that's it! He walks time and again, on a bright sunny day chasing men and women, sometimes there's even confrontations with the killer but he succeeds in all of his killings.

No dialogue is heard in the film, and neither its intended soundtrack is presented (which was a key factor for me in wanting to watch it since it contained artists such as Caetano Veloso, Alice Cooper, Frank Zappa, Jimi Hendrix and many others - and the tracks are all listed in the order they should appear in the final movie if you watch the version with credits - there's a smaller one without the credits, just the film). It makes me wonder how those songs could fit in such a strong idea that later on is wildly imagined with poems excerpts from the author himself.

Considering that this an intimate movie, almost a home video movie starring family and friends, I'll give it some praise. There are some cool moments, it's frightening and violent for that decade's standards. But for the most part it's tiring, emotionless, cold and distant (like serial killers really are) so it's hard to connect and to form a connection with everything that is presented. The victims is too far in the background and we only care when they react to the man since we don't have any background on them - except one couple having a conversation on the street and then the killer makes his move.

And let's face it, it's pretentious as hell. When it reaches the confusing poetry that closes the film - presented through letters on the screen - we don't find any meaning for its inclusion or how it relates with the tormented man's story. It's insane. Mr. Neto was talented, surely had his place in art history with his compositions but when it comes to films he wasn't so good. There's imagination and a nice setting, he actually creates something with a beginning and a middle but no end in sight (or at least that's how I see it). It's pretty confusing, and if given a bigger budget or a more sense of creation this could be a little gem coming from an obscure decade in Brazilian film history (the early 1970's are quite messy for films).

I'm grateful that somehow, despite two different editings (I watched the long version), it survived through the ages and can still be found and viewed very easily unlike Torquato's previous effort. I can only hope for one day a version with the soundtrack can get a release (I doubt it since the royalties for it would be way expensive to cover and that would kill any form of restauration of the film). Just some thoughts, you be the judge now. 5/10.

Portuguese-language cinema, spanning Portugal, Brazil, and other Lusophone regions, focuses on history, cultural identity, and the struggles of ordinary people, often framed with poetic or allegorical storytelling. In Portugal, cinema has emphasized meditative pacing and philosophical depth, reflecting on memory and tradition. In Brazil, it has often been politically charged and socially vibrant, highlighting inequality and resilience while experimenting with popular and avant-garde forms.

Alexandre Rodrigues in City of God (2002)

The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

A serial killer wanders through the streets of Terra Vermelha (located in the state of Piauí) randomly looking for his next victims. The movie doesn't have much a plot since it was a more experimental and symbolic experience that echoes avant-garde films of the 1960's.

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O Terror da Vermelha

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