Steady Brazilian Survival Thriller Property (FANTASTIC) Foists a Working-Class Revolt
Title: Property
First Non-Festival Release: December 21, 2023 (Limited Theatrical Release)
Director: Daniel Bandeira
Writer: Daniel Bandeira
Runtime: 100 Minutes
Starring: Malu Galli, Tavinho Teixeira, Anderson Cleber
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Fantastic Film Festival in 2023.
Wealthy land-owners Roberto (Tavinho Teixeira) and Teresa (Malu Galli) decide to weekend at their second home in the country to get away from the city. Their quest for peace is interrupted by a full-scale revolt, led by their workers after they found out the farm was being sold. Protected only by the bullet-proof glass smart car she is trapped inside, Teresa engages in a battle of wills with the very workers she depended on for her life of luxury.
A scathing critique of class division in Brazil, Property gives no easy answers for its rich vs poor stand-off.
The real-world implications of Brazil’s specific class divide give credence to the approach Property takes to social commentary. Plagued by its own history of slavery and income inequality, Brazil’s wealth disparities are put on trial in the form of the wealthy landowners Roberto and Teresa facing off against their underpaid workers. These parallels serve to examine real-life conditions that many are subjected to so they can survive. Passports locked away in safes, workers maimed by unsafe conditions and equipment, and children forced to work instead of focusing on education or leisure are all symptoms of the rot of a system that takes, takes, and takes some more from people trying to earn an honest living.
When zooming out of scope, Property speaks to the realities of working-poor laborers squeezed by the managerial class at the behest of the rich. Before Teresa and Roberto even make their way to their supposed haven, Renildo (Sandro Guerra) is ruling over the laboring class with a causal cruelty. Apathetic to their confusion and terror when they are informed of their firing and their inability to retrieve their various documents and owed money, Renildo essentially tells them ‘that’s how it goes’ and goes about his day.
The ensuing revolt brings forth many approaches and feelings towards the wealthy landowners that have exploited the land and workers for centuries. Property is careful to avoid painting all the workers as a mindless monolith thirsty for the blood of those richer than they are. Instead, many points of view are expressed and articulated throughout the film from apathy to discontent to outright rage. Regardless, what keeps them together is the shared goal of a better life that is possible and a common enemy of the couple who seek to profit off their labor and cast them away at the first chance they get. Throughout Property, both Teresa and the workers do objectively awful things, but the power dynamics lean more to one side when more is revealed about the working conditions on the site and how their anger is justified.
One of the recurring themes in Property is the perception and reality of danger experienced by class division. Teresa’s experience being held at gunpoint understandably left her stricken with PTSD, making her terrified of most people despite her wealth shielding her from most adverse experiences. In fact, the irony of her situation is magnified when one considers the vehicle that was designed to keep her safe, makes Teresa vulnerable and trapped. This contrasts greatly with the workers on the farm. With their personal documents out of reach, their very ability to make money for essentials is at the mercy of their bosses. Conditions are so bad that the work regularly disables some of them. Children are working instead of getting an education. Where is their armored car and gps connected cell phone?
Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity comes from Teresa’s character as most of what we learn about her comes from her reactions to the various situations she is put through by others rather than actions she takes. As Teresa watches the revolution unfold, she largely takes the time to escape the situation. She doesn’t engage and rarely cooperates with the workers. Of course, this can metaphorically serve as her inability to take responsibility for her part, no matter how small, in their subjugation. The murky sympathy that she evokes is challenging for a film that otherwise shows a stark division between right and wrong. Perhaps, Property’s goal of humanizing of worker’s struggles extends, even just a bit, to the people who impose those very struggles on them. Maybe the hope that Teresa can reflect inward to see her wrongs is naivety on the reviewer’s part.
A solid piece of commentary on class divides and Brazil’s tumultuous history with subjugated labor forces, Daniel Bandeira’s Property is a challenging but necessary watch. With the increased pressure to rectify visible injustices in the world, it is important now more than ever to listen when people speak their truth. Strong performances and a determination to flesh out its ensemble cast make Property a gripping and emotionally turbulent film. Ugly in an intentional way, it is impossible to leave Property unscathed.
Overall Score? 6/10
