A Grande Arte
Encyclopedia
A Grande Arte is a 1991 Brazilian movie directed by Walter Salles Jr.
and starring Peter Coyote
. Loosely based on the book A Grande Arte written by Brazilian Rubem Fonseca
, it is one of the first works of Salles Jr. The cast includes both Brazilian and international stars such as Coyote, Tcheky Karyo and Miguel Angel Fuentes.
This film is considered to mark the "revival" of the Brazilian movie industry, which was until that year in a deep production crisis.
learns the art of knife fighting in order to avenge the killing of a prostitute friend of his while preparing an in loco essay for his new book, about the "Train Surfers" (groups of boys who court danger "surfing" on the roof of the trains) in the city of Rio de Janeiro
. In an attack he is nearly killed at the hands of two hired thugs and his girlfriend is raped. The thugs work for an undisclosed Brazilian criminal organization closely tied with the Bolivia
n cocaine
cartel
.
, such as Rex Applegate
and William Fairbairn
, Bo Randall (the most famous American knifemaker, whose assault knife "Randall 14" is a key weapon in the film) and Joe Kious.
and Pantanal
.
It was photographed by José Roberto Eliezer and has a running time of 104 minutes.
Walter Salles
Walter Moreira Salles, Jr. is a Brazilian filmmaker and film producer of international prominence.-Life and career:Salles was born in Rio de Janeiro. He is the son of Elizinha Goncalves and Walter Moreira Salles, a Brazilian banker and ambassador, and the brother of João Moreira Salles, also a...
and starring Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote
Peter Coyote is an American actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator of films, theatre, television and audio books. His voice work includes narrating the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Apple's iPad campaign. He has also served as on-camera co-host of the 2000 Oscar...
. Loosely based on the book A Grande Arte written by Brazilian Rubem Fonseca
Rubem Fonseca
Rubem Fonseca is a Brazilian writer.He was born in Juiz de Fora, in the state of Minas Gerais, but he has lived most of his life in Rio de Janeiro. In 1952, he started his career as a low-level cop and, later became a police commissioner, one of the highest ranks in the civil police of Brazil...
, it is one of the first works of Salles Jr. The cast includes both Brazilian and international stars such as Coyote, Tcheky Karyo and Miguel Angel Fuentes.
This film is considered to mark the "revival" of the Brazilian movie industry, which was until that year in a deep production crisis.
Plot
An American photographer in BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
learns the art of knife fighting in order to avenge the killing of a prostitute friend of his while preparing an in loco essay for his new book, about the "Train Surfers" (groups of boys who court danger "surfing" on the roof of the trains) in the city of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
. In an attack he is nearly killed at the hands of two hired thugs and his girlfriend is raped. The thugs work for an undisclosed Brazilian criminal organization closely tied with the Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
cartel
Cartel
A cartel is a formal agreement among competing firms. It is a formal organization of producers and manufacturers that agree to fix prices, marketing, and production. Cartels usually occur in an oligopolistic industry, where there is a small number of sellers and usually involve homogeneous products...
.
Knife culture
The film also explores the mysterious and hidden world of the "Persevs" (cut-and-thrust) fighters and some famous knifesmithsBladesmith
Bladesmithing is the art of making knives, swords, daggers and other blades using a forge, hammer, anvil, and other smithing tools. Bladesmiths employ a variety of metalworking techniques similar to those used by blacksmiths, as well as woodworking for knife and sword handles, and often...
, such as Rex Applegate
Rex Applegate
Rex Applegate was an American military officer who worked for the Office of Strategic Services, where he trained Allied special forces personnel in close-quarters combat during World War II. He held the rank of colonel....
and William Fairbairn
William Fairbairn
Sir William Fairbairn, 1st Baronet was a Scottish civil engineer, structural engineer and shipbuilder.-Early career:...
, Bo Randall (the most famous American knifemaker, whose assault knife "Randall 14" is a key weapon in the film) and Joe Kious.
Cast
- Peter CoyotePeter CoyotePeter Coyote is an American actor, author, director, screenwriter and narrator of films, theatre, television and audio books. His voice work includes narrating the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics and Apple's iPad campaign. He has also served as on-camera co-host of the 2000 Oscar...
as Mandrake - Tcheky KaryoTchéky Karyo-Early life:Karyo was born in Istanbul to a Greek mother and Sephardic-Jewish father and raised in Paris, France. He studied drama at the Cyrano Theatre and later became a member of the Daniel Sorano Company, playing many classical roles.-Career:...
as Hermes, the knife fight master - Amanda PaysAmanda Pays-Personal life:Pays was born in London, England, the daughter of Joan , an actress, and Howard Reginald Pays, a talent agent and former actor. She is the niece of former child actress Mandy Miller, after whom she is named. Her first marriage, from 1984 to 1987, was to Peter Kohn, production manager...
as Mandrake's girlfriend - Raul Cortez as Thales de Lima Prado
- Giulia GamGiulia GamGiulia Gam is an Italian-born Brazilian actress. Granddaughter of a Dane, she became famous in Brazil after performing the young Jocasta Silveira in the soap opera Mandala and since then started a meteoric career in television, despite being one of the most seminal thespians of Brazil. Giulia's...
as the hooker - Tonico PereiraTonico PereiraAntônio Carlos de Sousa Pereira , better known as Tonico Pereira, is a Brazilian television and film actor.-TV work:* 2007 Amazônia, de Gálvez a Chico Mendes - Genivaldo...
- Eduardo Conde
Production
The movie was filmed on location on Rio de Janeiro streets (usually at night) and in the highlands of BoliviaBolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
and Pantanal
Pantanal
The Pantanal is a tropical wetland and one of the world's largest wetland of any kind. Most of it lies within the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but it extends into Mato Grosso and portions of Bolivia and Paraguay, sprawling over an area estimated at between and...
.
It was photographed by José Roberto Eliezer and has a running time of 104 minutes.