Imagine living in a country controlled by right-wing hardliners following a coup d'état, perhaps orchestrated by leaders promising a prompt return to civilian rule, economic stability, and a restoration of order. Imagine watching those promises evaporate as an authoritarian, nationalist dictatorship consolidates power, undermining the foundational principles of the Constitution, smothering freedom of speech and suppressing political opposition. In such a volatile situation, one could certainly expect institutionalized torture, extrajudicial killings, and forced disappearances.
I am referring to the Fifth Brazilian Republic, a military dictatorship established in Brazil following a 1964 coup d'état by the Brazilian Armed Forces. The regime endured for 21 years, succumbing eventually to demonstrations and a civil movement in the early 1980s. Democracy was effectively restored in 1988.
“The Secret Agent,” a neo-noir historical political thriller, transports viewers to this setting with a story that takes place in 1977 during the Brazilian military dictatorship. Written and directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, it is an immersive work that intertwines multiple plot threads, introduces fascinating and vivid characters, and presents its subject matter in an unconventional, anarchic configuration. Initially, the meandering story threads and the slow-burn approach to storytelling may be difficult to follow, but the period detail is so mesmerizing that it ensnares viewers. Neon acquired North American distribution rights to the film. “The Secret Agent” was released in select U.S. theaters on Nov. 26. As of Feb. 3, the film is available to buy or rent on digital platforms. It has also returned to select theaters — including a few in the Tampa Bay area — following the announcement it has received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor for Moura, Best Casting and Best International Feature Film.
The film follows Armando (Wagner Moura), a widowed university professor who is using the assumed name Marcelo to conceal his identity. Fleeing political persecution, he travels to Recife. Along the way, he stops at a gas station where he observes a corpse clumsily covered by cardboard in the adjacent lot. The station attendant explains the situation and suggests that no one is in a hurry to recover the body, other than a pack of wild dogs. Police arrive during this interaction but seem to be more interested in harassing Armando than in investigating the recent death.
In Recife, Armando finds sanctuary with Dona Sebastiana (Tânia Maria), who provides shelter to several political dissidents. He also is reunited with his young son Fernando (Enzo Nunes), who has been living with his in-laws since his wife’s death. He is given a job in an identity card office where he spends time searching for a file on his mother, now deceased.
Concurrently, the head of the law enforcement office, a corrupt police chief named Euclides (Robério Diógenes), is summoned to investigate a human leg that was recovered from a captured tiger shark. He is joined in the investigation by his sons Sergio (Igor de Araújo) and Arlindo (Italo Martins).
In São Paulo, selfish industrialist Henrique Ghirotti (Luciano Chirolli), infuriated by past clashes with Armando, plots revenge. He uses his economic clout to convince federal police to add Armando to a list of wanted terrorists, and to persuade some newspapers to run stories suggesting Armando is a criminal. Finally, he hires two ruthless hitmen — Bobbi (Gabriel Leone) and Augusto (Roney Villela) — to kill Armando.
At times, the film feels disjointed as the focus leapfrogs from one subplot to another. Gradually, all of those threads start to come together. Armando’s goal is to escape, taking his son out of the country and starting a new life in neighboring Uruguay. To affect this getaway, he meets with Elza (Maria Fernanda Cândido), the leader of an underground resistance movement. She records their conversations so that future generations can study what life was like during the authoritarian regime. In fact, Filho gives us a glimpse of that: A portion of the story is set in the modern day, focusing on Flavia (Laura Lufési), a history student researching Elza’s contribution to the resistance. This dramatic shift in point of view is effective, demonstrating the importance of documenting life under a repressive dictatorship. Those who keep a record and provide evidence of oppression and abuses of power are playing a role in an active resistance as well as providing a repository of information so that the worst elements of history might not be repeated.
At its core, “The Secret Agent” is a moving homage to lives destroyed by the military dictatorship in Brazil. It is as fascinating as it is stressful. A superb ensemble cast lends weight and depth to these characters, communicating their strengths and their anxiety. Armando and the fellow refugees sheltered by Dona Sebastiana exist in a limbo between hope and hopelessness. Their desperation is evident, as is their fortitude and will to survive.
Laws of the jungle apply here: When a confusion of migrating wildebeest travels through long grass or stops at the
Serengeti waterholes, there must be some rudimentary acknowledgement that some unlucky individuals will fall prey to lions. Likewise, living in an era of authoritarian rule means recognizing its omnipresent dangers, anticipating recurrent horrors and atrocities, and learning to navigate a hostile environment while protecting oneself and others from potential political violence. Through some of its more raw and graphic sequences that sometimes approach a grindhouse cinema aesthetic quality, “The Secret Agent” effectively conveys the harsh realities of that environment.
Filho’s masterful political thriller is troubling, powerful, poignant and absolutely brimming with textural detail. It is also an unambiguous word of warning: Unchecked authoritarianism penetrates all levels of society.
Lee Clark Zumpe is entertainment editor at Tampa Bay Newspapers, a Tomatometer-Approved Critic, and an author of short fiction. He can be reached by email at lzumpe@TBNweekly.com.
