Madame Satã

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Madame Satã

2003,

1h 45m,

Biography/

Drama

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Watchlist

61%

41 Reviews

Tomatometer

81%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

61%

Tomatometer

41 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

In the 1930s slums of Rio de Janeiro, João Francisco dos Santos (Lázaro Ramos) is many things -- the son of black slaves, an ex-con who spent more than two decades in prison, a gangster, a homosexual and patriarch to a surrogate family of social outcasts. João seeks an outlet of expression through a cabaret act, where he cultivates the transvestite stage persona Madame Satã and becomes a revolutionary icon for society's neglected during a time of upheaval in post-abolition Brazil.

Critics Consensus

Madame Satã offers an occasionally absorbing look at a pivotal figure in Brazilian culture, even if its subject deserves a more consistent biopic.

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Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

Nov 7, 2003

2.5/4

Often captivating.

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Erik Lundegaard

Seattle Times

Oct 31, 2003

2/4

A myopic, histrionic picture that never lets us know why this legendary character is legendary, and worthy of our attention.

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Oct 27, 2003

2.5/5

While the depiction of the Lapa district and the details of repressed homosexual life in Rio 10 years ago is always intriguing, we come away learning very little about the individual known as Madame Sat.

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David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

Jun 12, 2020

Madame Sata portrays a real-life Brazilian folk hero, a popular criminal and minor cabaret star who, while certainly no Robin Hood, did capture the turbulent spirit of a corrupt frontier society where people of color were relegated to the margins...

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Donald J. Levit

ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Sep 6, 2006

The film's non-dramatic but exhilarating finale is what clings most memorably.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Sep 9, 2005

4/5

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Karim Aïnouz

Director

Lázaro Ramos

João Francisco dos Santos

Marcélia Cartaxo

Laurita

Giovana Barbosa

Firmina

Fellipe Marques

Renatinho

Flávio Bauraqui

Tabu

Main Hoon Na

81%

Main Hoon Na

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Synopsis

In the 1930s slums of Rio de Janeiro, João Francisco dos Santos (Lázaro Ramos) is many things -- the son of black slaves, an ex-con who spent more than two decades in prison, a gangster, a homosexual and patriarch to a surrogate family of social outcasts. João seeks an outlet of expression through a cabaret act, where he cultivates the transvestite stage persona Madame Satã and becomes a revolutionary icon for society's neglected during a time of upheaval in post-abolition Brazil.

Director: Karim Aïnouz
Producer: Marc Beauchamps, Isabel Diegues, Vincent Maraval, Maurício Andrade Ramos, Donald Ranvaud, Juliette Renaud, Walter Salles
Screenwriter: Karim Aïnouz, Marcelo Gomes, Sérgio Machado, Mauricio Zacharias
Distributor: Wellspring Cinema
Production Co: Dominant 7
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 9, 2003, Wide
Release Date (DVD): Mar 1, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $198.2K
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo

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