The Guns (1964)
Ruy Guerra's searing Cinema Novo masterpiece confronts famine, state power, and moral conscience in Brazil's drought-stricken Northeast.
The Guns - Movie Information
- Original Title: Os Fuzis
- Release Year: 1964
- Directed by: Ruy Guerra
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Western, Drama
- Runtime: 1h 25m
- Original Language: Portuguese
- Spoken Languages: Portuguese
- Release Date (Theatrical): June 1, 1964 (Brazil), June 25, 1964 (Germany)
- Alternative Titles: 건즈 (KR), Geværene i Milagres (NO)
- Production Companies: Inbracine Filmes, Copacabana Filmes, Daga Filmes
- Production Countries: Argentina, Brazil
The Guns - Plot
A group of armed soldiers is sent to the Northeast of Brazil in an attempt to stop a famine-struck population from invading and stealing a food deposit in the dry backlands. While the alienation and insanity of people driven to hallucination by their latent hunger is conducted by the predictions of a religious figure, a truck driver observes the situation and remains torn between his friendship with the soldiers and his revolt against the lack of government action in fighting the misery that lingers over the region.
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The Guns - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Ruy Guerra
Main Cast
- Átila Iório
- Nelson Xavier
- Maria Gladys
- Leonidas Bayer
- Ivan Cândido
- Paulo César Peréio
- Hugo Carvana
- Mauricio Loyola
- Ruy Polanah
- Joel Barcellos
Writers
- Ruy Guerra
- Miguel Torres
Producers
- Jarbas Barbosa
- Gilberto Perrone
The Guns - FAQs
What is The Guns about?
The Guns follows a squad of soldiers deployed to guard a food warehouse in Brazil's drought-ravaged Northeast, tasked with keeping starving locals at bay. A truck driver caught between his bonds with the soldiers and his outrage at government indifference becomes the film's moral compass amid mounting desperation.
Is The Guns a Cinema Novo film?
Yes, The Guns is one of the defining works of Cinema Novo, Brazil's landmark 1960s movement that used raw, location-shot filmmaking to confront social inequality. Director Ruy Guerra's unflinching portrayal of famine and state violence made it a cornerstone of the movement alongside Black God, White Devil.
What themes does The Guns explore?
The film digs into state violence, class inequality, and the moral paralysis of ordinary people facing systemic injustice. It also weaves in religious mysticism and collective despair, showing how hunger drives communities toward both spiritual surrender and the brink of revolt in Brazil's arid sertão.
Who directed The Guns and what is his background?
Ruy Guerra directed the film. Born in Mozambique and trained in Paris, Guerra brought an outsider's sharp eye to Brazilian social realities. The Guns earned him the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 1964 Berlin International Film Festival, cementing his place among world cinema's most important voices.
Did The Guns win any major awards?
It did. The Guns won the Silver Bear for Best Director at the 1964 Berlin International Film Festival, a major recognition that brought international attention to Brazil's Cinema Novo movement and to Ruy Guerra as a filmmaker of serious political and artistic ambition.
Who are the main actors in The Guns?
The cast is led by Átila Iório as Gaúcho, the conflicted truck driver, and Nelson Xavier as Mário. Maria Gladys, Leonidas Bayer, Ivan Cândido, Paulo César Peréio, and Hugo Carvana round out a strong ensemble that brings the film's tense human drama to life.
How does The Guns compare to Black God, White Devil?
Both films were released in 1964 and are pillars of Cinema Novo, set in Brazil's sertão and grappling with poverty and power. Where Glauber Rocha's Black God, White Devil leans into myth and feverish energy, The Guns is grittier and more restrained, grounding its critique in quiet, suffocating realism.
Where was The Guns filmed?
The film was shot on location in the Northeast of Brazil, in the harsh, sun-scorched sertão region. Cinematographer Ricardo Aronovich captured the landscape's brutal aridity with stark, documentary-influenced photography that turns the environment itself into a powerful statement about poverty and neglect.
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