The Melbourne Cinémathèque & ACMI present
Assault on the Pay Train
When
Wed 18 Oct 2023
The true story of one of the most famous heists in Brazil’s history – taking place in Rio de Janeiro in 1960 – Farias’ powerful thriller is less concerned with the robbery itself than its aftermath and the effect it has on the six men who carry it out. Masterfully blending elements of noir and neorealism, the film’s concern with broader social issues, underlying poverty and the mythology of criminality (alongside the humanisation of its characters) builds to a searing critique of Brazil’s class and racial hierarchy.
4K DCP.
Also screening on Wed 18 October
Program
Now! Crime, politics and revolution in 1960s Brazilian cinema
Assault on the Pay Train (1962) – Wed 18 Oct, 7pm
Tocaia no Asfalto (1962) – Wed 18 Oct, 9pm
Antes, o Verão (1968) – Wed 25 Oct, 7pm
The Red Light Bandit (1968) – Wed 25 Oct, 8.35pm
A Rainha Diaba (1974) –Wed 1 Nov, 7pm
Macunaíma (1969) – 9.05pm
About the program
The 1960s was a time of great upheaval in Brazil, as it was the world over. During this rich cultural period cinema went through a moment of radical flux, as did music and the other visual arts. Shadowed by a decade of repressive dictatorship, censorship decrees, and an exodus of dissidents, many of the films produced experimented with narrative, design, collage and music...
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About Melbourne Cinémathèque
Australia's longest-running film society, Melbourne Cinémathèque screens significant works of international cinema in the medium they were created, the way they would have originally screened.
Melbourne Cinémathèque is self-administered, volunteer-run, not-for-profit and membership-driven.
