AllMovie

A better-than-average Brazilian docudrama, this look at 20 years in the life of the notorious Tenorio Cavalcanti (Jose Wilker) leans heavily on the contributions of his family. Cavalcanti was a gunslinger in the tradition of an American Western. He was elected to Congress, where he showed up wearing a long black coat, a matching beard, and toting a machine gun. He is reputed to have killed many an opponent and built himself a veritable fortress for protection against his enemies -- which would eventually include the Brazilian army. He defended the rights of the people of the Duque de Caxias region with a vengeance. This drama takes particular note of his activities between 1945, when he joined a major political party, and 1964, when a military coup ousted the elected president.