This is about how Brazil is perceived abroad. Bananas, crime, naked women, burning forests, Corcovado, coffee, soccer / football, samba, beautiful beaches, dead indians, more crime, Pele, Sugarloaf, and so on - take your pick. All of these are common images of Brazil in both North America and around the world.
The inspiration for this essay is a movie, a minor, grade B production called Turistas. I have not seen the movie, but I saw a segment about it on Fantastico, a popular Globo TV variety show. It seems that Brazilians are upset with this movie because of the way it portrays Brazil and Brazilians (see comments below). I was at some friends' house last week (Vernon and Aguela) and the movie Turists came up for discussion. Most people there were Brazilian or Americans married to Brazilians (a topic I should write about). Most had heard about the movie or the commotion around it. Most could have not cared less. Just a movie. Yawn. So what! Who cares! One American said that when he visited Rio there were no nude or topless girls on the beach (he sounded sad). We could only tell him that it was probably obvious he was a pervert, so as soon as he appeared at the beach all the girls put their clothes back on. When he left, everybody went nude, again. That is the only logical explanation, right?
Hummmm, good topic! Lets take a look at the image of Brazil, but first a few words about the movie..
It looks like paradise (scenes of a beach, babes in bikinis)Oh the suspense... That is from the movie trailer clip.
It seems like vacation (scenes of kids in waterfalls and frolicking on beach)
But in a country where everything goes... (scenes of wild drinking and dancing)
anything can happen... (scenes of kids passed out after party...the suspense builds...).
So what is the movie about? Let me quote part of the review from www.bigpicturebigsound.com, by Joe Lozito.
It looks like paradise
Brazilian Whacks - Turistas is the first American production to shoot entirely in Brazil and, by the light in which Brazilians are portrayed, it may be the last. According to Turistas – John Stockwell’s dark tale of tourists running afoul of (what else?) a madman in the Brazilian jungle – the famed country of beaches and loose morals is every bit as dangerous as you’ve heard…and much, much more. Having been to Brazil, I understand the lure of its exotic, beach-going lifestyle. I also remember hearing tales of violence against tourists – particularly white American tourists. Mr. Stockwell’s film preys on those fears. Well, those and the fear of getting your organs stolen. The story, by first-time feature writer Michael Ross, follows a collection of backpackers who, after a ridiculous bus crash somewhere along the Brazilian coast, come upon an idyllic, untouched stretch of sand, complete with a party-happy beach bar and a seemingly friendly local staff. All this (no spoiler here) goes horribly wrong when our heroes wake up face down in the surf robbed or all their possessions and – worse yet – really, really hung-over. The rest of the film is a more or less by-the-numbers horror film, but with the added bonus of beautiful filmed-on-location settings. Interestingly, Turistas is neither gory enough to be a full-on horror movie, exciting enough to be a full-on thriller, nor thought-provoking enough to be a statement on class issues between cultures. For cultural commentary, the film attempts to give its psychotic killer a motive involving his frustration with his perceived rape of Brazilian culture. Stockwell was inspired to make the film after his own close-call in Northern Peru.
Here is another review by Bruce Westbrook in the Houston Chronicle
It seems like vacation
One hell of a vacation - Director's own frightening experience inspired Turistas, a film about a trip gone terribly wrong. Turistas has a different destination — and tone. Set and shot in Brazil, it's a harrowing horror thriller about young Americans... assailed by a ruthless group bent on black-market organ transplants. In telling a tale of imperiled travelers, he was inspired by his own reality. On a visit to northern Peru, Stockwell "was robbed by gasoline-sniffing 13-year-olds. I ran, they shot at me, and the police essentially said, 'If you give us $300, we know where these kids are, and we'll let you kill them.'"
And here is a review by Bob Longino in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
But in a country where everything goes...
A horror movie that delivers - Give Turistas, the edgy, unnerving, graphically violent South American vacation movie full of sex-hungry young adults and horror, credit for knowing full well not only what kind of entertainment it is, but for delivering the goods. Even before our international clan of backpackers winds up stranded on a Brazilian beach robbed of money and passports, one of the American gals has misplaced half of her bikini. "I left my top in Rio," she says in justifying her decision to suddenly go topless. Hmm. Let's see. An R-rated horror film that promises "disturbing content" (i.e. blood-and-guts disembowelments), and this shapely blonde's already letting her twins out... Looks like we've got a potential box-office moneymaker. Like we said, Turistas does deliver. It has sex, drugs, violence, Swedes, machete chops, girls, a great beach, excessive drinking and some poor dude who winds up with a skewer through his eyeball.
So the director had a bad experience in Peru and he made a film based upon his own experiences and filmed it in Brazil. Well, Brazil gets a bum rap, again. It doesn't seem fair! But what else to expect from some damn gringo! This is not the first time that Brazil has been slander in the entertainment media. In many ways, the Simpson's trip to Brazil in 2002 was worse. It showed Brazil filled with gay and bisexual men and crazy monkeys, in a story about Homer, Bart and family dealing with everyday issues such as crime and kidnapping. This is not a true, honest portrayal of Brazil: not all the monkeys are mad! Actually I saw only parts of the episode and thought the Brazilians were more Mexican than Brazilian. Anyway, nobody can get mad at the Simpsons.
Anything can happen... and it does, of course. Actually I read the interviews with the actors, and they said they had a great time, everybody treated them well and there were no real problems of any type...
What is the real Brazil? Do the images and stories in the media about Brazil reflect reality? Is Brazil good or bad, fun or scary, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly? Those are really hard questions!
Yes. The answer is yes! Brazil is all of those, and more. Most of all, Brazil is the Brazilians, and for the most part, Brazilians are fantastic. There is not a single Brazil, but many Brazils, all different. The reality of Brazil will vary according to where you are and who you are with. If you are sitting with friends after a great dinner in Buzios, Brazil is wonderful. If you are a Rio de Janeiro and there is a guy holding a gun on you asking for your wallet, it is not so nice. I have done both.
Brazil has many good things and a few bad things. Unfortunately the bad things sometimes spoil the good things. The trick is to avoid the bad things.
This whole blackmarket organ theme is part of a huge urban legend (much talk but little or no facts) that was spread by the tabloid media in all of Latin America. For the most part, the rumors were centered in Guatemala, and I think one or more tourists were even killed because they were suspected of stealing or buying babies for organ harvesting. Tragic. Anyway, the rumor got to Brazil and was so widespread that the Brazilian government even did a full scale congressional investigation (Relatório final da CPI criada em 2004 p/ investigar o tráfico de órgãos: http://www2.camara.gov.br/comissoes/temp...) only to come up with nothing. Stupidity, I say. It does not take a genius to realize that use or reuse of human organs requires an immense and sophisticated technical and medical investment, and probably is not the thing the average taxi driver does on weekends with his kitchen knife to earn a few bucks. Anyway, it happened in Guatemala and Brazil gets the rap, again. Bummer!
Brazilians love to meter pau in Brazil. That kind means "hit it with a stick". It is almost a hobby or national past time. They are very critical of many things, probably most of all the corruption and violence. Here is a map of Brazil sent to me. It is a "corruptographic Map of Brazil" and it takes common state names and replaces them with similar words... Some are really cute, such as Amazonas becomes "A maior zona" and Alagoas becomes "Aladroas". "Rio de Janeiro" is "Rio de Dinheiro." You need to understand Portuguese.
Here are some images of Brazil I have collected from political cartoons: All of them use a geographic representation of Brazil as the basic for humor, or better, social commentary about the state of the nation:
Brazil is corrupt and full of rats; Brazil is sinking into a sea of mud; Brazil is a garbage can; Brazil is a cut of meat being served up to foreigners; Brazil is a crab, always moving sideways; Brazil is one big homeless country; Brazil is a nation of suitcases, eveybody wants out; Brazil is a trap; Brazil is a fiscal hole; Brazil is sick; Brazil is as one watching the World Cup; Brazil is the land of football / soccer.
Some of those criticisms are very strong, and some are very true.[1] This movie is disrespectfull to all Brazillians... tell me why would you write something like this... it is not true... and all brazillians are NOT bitches... I'm sorry but that movie is just full of junk... After watching that movie people in the theaters disrespected me... for been a Brazilllian... I don't recomend anybody to see this dispicable movie... I mean the writer of the movie should write about his own country... because his own country is worst and he does not even have to make up lies for it. Thank you for you time. [2] I thought this movie was actually pretty good. The story was believable, the girls were sexy, and the underwater scenes were superbly shot. The film coveys the hopelessness of being stranded in a foreign country and being at the mercy of sinister forces. I could have done without the operation scene, but the gore was actually a small part of the movie. The casting was very good. Melissa George and Olivia Wilde are good upcoming actresses. The movie certainly held my attention the whole time. [3] I thought the movie was horrible and sad at the same time. Being from Brazil myself,it's a terrible thing to say,but stuff like that does happen over there and sometimes even worse. Take my advice if you're planning to go on vacation,don't go to Brazil,i'm not saying it's a bad place but it's not good either. The beaches are nice and the weather is good,but that's pretty much it. I went back to visit 10yrs after i was here,i was planning to stay 2 wks over there. My first wk in Brazil i got robbed,i was wearing a really simple necklace,i think at the time i paid $5.00 for it here. I'm walking down the street this guy comes behind me and just ripped the necklace out of my neck just like that,i never saw his face,i saw him running very fast,and the people around me saw everything and did nothing,they didn't even ask if i needed help or if i was ok,they're just so used to these kind of things that if freaked me out so bad. I was out of that country in 2 days,so my vacation only lasted 3 days,because i was robbed on my very first day there after 10yrs of being out of the country. Don't waste your money watching this crapy movie,it sucked really bad.. And don't go to Brazil for vacation,like i said before there are other places much much better than Brazil to see. [4] Turistas is a spanish name, but there's not a little piece of Spanish in this movie. That was my first problem with this movie, and another thing... [5] The movie is terrible and it makes brazil look like Africa. I think the only organ to ever be stolen in brazil was the brain of the director, which was later found to be a piece of s****. [6] It is pittyful one can write a horror, disgraceful movie about Brazil...Wouldn't you ever thought that it is a terrible portrayal of Brazil and its people? The movie is offensive in Brazilian standards.. all you can portray about Brazil is violence and crime? BUT, WHY BRAZIL??? Couldn't you write about our own American version of violence and crime without offending Brazilian's people and culture? Shame on you! [7] The movie is offensive and full of terrible mistakes such as Brazilian people speaking Spanish and jungles really close to huge metropolis... So, if anyone is so narrow-minded that can watch a movie like this and even so rate more than F, please, keep out of my country [8] Worth checking out. similar to hostel. it was creepy and seemed more real being in brazil, seem more likely to happen in a dirty country than in the great european area. although why would americans go hicking in brazil, they are all mexicans down there, we saw it coming. [9] We are asking everyone to please boycott this movie because of the horrible way it portrays the beautiful Brazilian culture and people. Thank you! [10] I live in Rio de Janeiro and NOTHING what happens in that f***ing movie really happens you, *****ing north-americans must put this movie on yours ass! why you don't say you are going to destroy the world for the next generations? ***** you all LOSERS [11] You know exactly what you are getting with this film, that is bikinis and beer for the first half, blood and guts for the second. It's Hostel but in a prettier setting. The characters are cliche, the dialouge is alright but there is something about the way it is shot, be it the imagery or whatever, that keeps you interested. [12] This movie is not a horror movie! This is an adventure / comedy / suspense / thriller movie! The movie was pretty fun, with enough "boob-action", and gore for a almost-perfect adventure movie. Note: I want people to know that Brazil is not only a jungle, full of whor*s, sl*ts, and prostitutes. It has wonderful sights, like the Cristo Redentor, amazing beaches and natural paradise. There are very poor regions, but also rich regions, and a lot of caipirinha as showed in the movie! Haha! But be sure to check out which are the safe areas to visit, because there may be some stupid people who might want to rob you, just because you are from a first-world country. Maybe that's why Brazil is far from being a top-notch country. The movie is great, go see it for yourself!
[13] Eu acho que o filme retrata fielmente o que é o Brasil, esse país é pura violencia, e desonestidade, vc nunca ouviu falar de trafico de orgãos? é só vc ver nos noticiarios que o filme não aumenta tanta coisa assim não!! Deveriamos boicotar era esses politicos que contribuem para essa balburdia!I didn't know that Ann Couter spoke Portuguese, or maybe has a Brazilian twin. I am referring to comments [18-19] and I am trying to make a joke. As you can see, most Brazilians in Brazil writing in the Brazilian Yahoo are less critical of the movie than they are of their country. On the other hand, the Brazilians writing in the American Yahoo are far more offended and protective of their native land. This is natural, I believe. Those abroad do not have then sense of despair and helplessness that I have often found in many young Brazilians living in Brazil. The Brazilians abroad have options and chances that those living in Brazil do not have. At least that is my understanding of this contradiction. I need to find a Brazilian to write about this.
[13] I find that the film faithfully portrays what is Brazil, this country is pure violence, and dishonesty, have you never heard of organ traffic? you only have to see the news to know that the film thus does not exagerate so much! We should boycott these politicos that contribute to this mess! [14] Os americanos nojentos querem nos emporcalhar mas a realidade não está muito longe disso não. eu vou boicotar essa m****
[14] The stinking Americans want to slander us (make us pigs) but the reality is not very far from this. I am going to boycott this s***. [15] Acho que um boicote aqui não tem sentido. O importante é a imagem do Brasil lá fora, la eh que vai ser agredida. sei que muitos aqui acham que o filme eh pura verdade e que demorou. digo pra vcs que pensam assim: O q vcs fazem aqui? Por que não estão no Oriente Médio ou na num país pobre da África. Façam - me o favor! Existe paraíso aqui na terra? Se tiver me avisem q eu vou pra lá.
[15] I think a boycott doesn't make sense. The important thing is the image of Brazil abroad, there is where it will be hurt. I know that many here find that the film is pure truth and that it took too long. I say to you that think thus: What are you doing here? Why aren't you in the Middle East or poor country of Africa. Give me a break! Is there a paradise on earth? If there is let me known I'll go there. [16] Qual o problema, por acaso o brasil é um paraiso? Temos altos indices de assaltos, sequestros, assassinatos, corrupçao, prostituicao infantil, miserabilidade, turismo + prostituicao. Só porque estão mostrando essa realidade num filme pro mundo todo, os Simpsos já mostraram isso... Quem sabe o Lulla nao toma vergonha na cara e nao tenta arrumar a casa?!
[16] What is the problem, by chance is Brazil a paradise? We have high indexes of assaults, kidnappings, murders, corruption, infant prostitution, misery, tourism + prostitution. They only are showing to this reality in a film to all the world, the Simpsons already had shown this… Who knows maybe Lulla will get shame in the face and try to fix the house. [17] Putz... fazendo um boicote ao filme quer dizer q tem um fundo de verdade no filme... pq c fosse só babosera nao iriam ligar
[17] Putz... doing a boycott of the film says that it has an element of truth in the film... because if it were just silliness nobody would care. [18] Acho "ridiculo" que mentalidade, estou chocada com essa atitude dos brasileiros contra o filme americano. o proprio Brasil foi o primeiro quem exportou a propria imagem negativa para o exterior. O cinema brasileiro é so violência, mostram as periferias, favelas, trafegos de drogas, bandidos dominando o Pais e por ai vai... citarei aqui apenas um dos que me chocaram "cidade de Deus" nem terminei de assisti-lo, pois nao aguentei tanta imagem de violência. Pergunto? Esses filmes foram produzidos por americanos?? nao, pelos proprios brasileiros, para que esses filmes nao fossem mostrados la fora, ninguém pensou em fazer boicote. O filme americano so mostra o que todos ja sabem, expoe o mesmo tema que os filmes brasileiros expoem, nao vi nada de IRREAL, agora se estao todos "revoltados" é porque foi um "americano" quem o produziu e nao porque o filme esta indo de contra a realidade do Pais. Essa mania nacional que pegou no Brasil "o anti-americanismo", pra mim esse sentimento de complexo dos brasileiros contra essa grande potência ja ta saindo do sério.
[18] I think this attitude is “ridiculous”, I am shocked with this attitude of the Brazilians against the american film. Brazil itself was the first to export its own negative image to the exterior. The Brazilian cinema is so violent, it shows the poor places, slums, drug traffic, bandits controling the country, and so on... I will cite only one of the ones that shocked me “city of God” I never finished watching it, cause I couldn't stand so much violence. I ask? Were these films produced by Americans? no, by Brazilians themselves, so that these should not be be shown abroad, nobody thought about doing a boycott. The American film only shows what we all already know, it exposes the same themes that the Brazilian films show, I saw nothing that was UNREAL, now if everybody is “rebelled” it is because it was a “American” who produced it and not because the film is going against the reality of the Country. This national craze that has caught on in Brazil of “anti-americanismo”, to me this feeling of complex of the Brazilians against this great power is not serious. [19] Nunca. O brasileiro mata, rouba e tortura estrangeiros, principalmente aqui no Rio. Agora mesmo, estamos mantendo os pilotos do Legacy, avião comprado por eles aqui, e que são totalmente inocentes. Nosso tráfego aéreo é uma bagunça. Matamos o jovem português em Copacabana, a freira americana no Pará, o campeão de iatismo e ativista ecológico neo-zelandês, toda semana morre um estrangeiro aqui, turista ou não. Não punimos ninguém. Se não somos perversos, somos dissimulados e cínicos. O indio Morales, o boliviano trapalhão, faz o que quer e ninguem toma providências. Depois queremos posar de bonzinhos no Haiti. Auto-crítica é fundamental para o crescimento e nós não temos nenhum senso crítico. Q. pirataria? A maioria aqui está de xp pirata, como todo bom brasileiro. É como dizia o sambista: "Se gritar pega ladrão, não fica um, meu irmão". Pirataria aqui é a regra. E impunidade é geral. Nem sei que filme é esse, só sei que em filmes estrangeiros, os fugitivos compram passagem para o Brasil. Povinho sem auto-estima e sem auto-crítica!
[19] Never. Brazilians kill, steal from and torture foreigners, mainly here in Rio. Right now, we are keeping the pilots of the Legacy, airplane bought by them here, and they are total innocent. Our air traffic system is one big mess. We kill the young Portuguese in Copacabana, the American nun in Pará, the yatch champion and NewZealander ecological activist, every week a foreigner dies here, tourist or not. We punish nobody. If we are not perverse, we are dissimulated and cynical. The Indian Morales, the bolivian stooge, does what he wants and nobody takes steps. Then we want to pretend we are nice guys in Haiti. Auto-criticism is basic for the growth and we do not have any critical sense. Q. piracy? The majority of xp here is pirate, as all good Brazilians. It is like the sambista said: “If someone yells out thief, no one will be left, my brother”. Piracy is the rule here. Impunity is general. I don't even know what film this is, all I know is that in foreign films, the fugitives buy ticket to Brazil. Little people without self-esteem and auto-criticism!
