The Given Word
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Anselmo Duarte
Leonardo Vilar
Gloria Menezes
Dionísio Azevedo
Norma Bengell
Geraldo D'el Rey
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Ze, an honest peasant farmer and devout Catholic, makes a vow to distribute his land and carry a heavy wooden cross on his back to the church in the neighboring village if the life of his ailing donkey is saved. When the animal recovers, Ze takes the cross and makes the arduous 30-mile pilgrimage to the Church of Santa Barbara. The local priest denies him admittance, however, because he made his vow during a voodoo ceremony. Determined to complete his mission, Ze waits patiently outside. After his wife has been seduced by Bonitao, a lecherous pimp, Ze becomes the center of attention: the town merchants exploit the event for their own mercenary ends, and newspaper reporters hail him as a communist agitator for giving away his land. Ze remains steadfast in his determination to place the cross upon the church altar. With the situation out of control, the bishop is summoned, but he is unable to persuade Ze to give up his cause. Finally, Bonitao instigates a riot during which Ze is killed. Suddenly silent, the crowd places Ze upon his cross, carries him into the church, and places the cross on the altar.
Director
Anselmo Duarte
Cast
Leonardo Vilar
Gloria Menezes
Dionísio Azevedo
Norma Bengell
Geraldo D'el Rey
Roberto Ferreira
Othon Bastos
Gilberto Marques
Carlos Tôrres
Antonio L. Sampaio
Milton Gaúcho
João Desordi
Irênio Simões
Enoch Tôrres
Maria Conceiçao
Veveldo Diniz
Walter Da Silveira
Napoleão Lopes Filho
Copoeira Dancers Of Cangiquinha
Crew
José Teixeira De Araújo
Carlos Coimbra
Reine Dorian
Anselmo Duarte
Carlos Foscolo
Chick Fowle
Oswaldo Massaini
Gabriel Migliori
Josef Reindl
Roberto Ribeiro
Ruy Rosádo
José Teles
Film Details
Technical Specs
Award Nominations
Best Foreign Language Film
Quotes
Trivia
Notes
Opened in São Paulo in August 1962 as O pagador de promessas.
Miscellaneous Notes
Winner of the Palme d'Or for Best Picture at the 1962 Cannes Film Festival.
Released in United States December 1998
Released in United States Spring March 24, 1964
Shown at the Museum of Modern Art (Cinema Novo and Beyond) in New York City December 5 & 21, 1998.
Released in United States Spring March 24, 1964
Released in United States December 1998 (Shown at the Museum of Modern Art (Cinema Novo and Beyond) in New York City December 5 & 21, 1998.)
