The Amherst Cinema Reel: A Review of The Secret Agent
By: Samuel Cavalheiro
Content
Inspired by Leila and Grace’s Amherst Cinema Reels, I myself set out to watch a movie at Amherst Cinema recently. I chose The Secret Agent, a Brazilian film directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho, starring the magnetic Wagner Moura. The Secret Agent has received universal acclaim, garnering four Oscar nominations, including a Best Actor nomination for Moura’s outstanding performance. The film tells the story of a former professor, played by Moura, running from hitmen connected to a corrupt executive of a state-owned company — all of this amid a brutally repressive military dictatorship set in 1970s Brazil.
The Atmosphere
From its opening shot, Filho transports the viewer back to the city of Recife as it prepares for Carnival. Despite the festivities and color of a tropical city amidst the largest celebration of the year, the film feels remarkably claustrophobic. Filho uses a cluttered framing style to project the same paranoia Moura’s character feels while attempting to escape from his would-be assassins. Even in a city of millions, our protagonist feels boxed in by his circumstances.
He seeks refuge in a compound with other political dissidents, but Filho expertly shatters any expectations of safety and security throughout the film. Every window becomes a vantage point; every meal an opportunity to attack. The oppressive humidity and heat that bake Recife manifest themselves in the relentless and suffocating pressure of the military dictatorship.
A Hairy Leg
One of the film’s most brilliant motifs is the hairy leg (or, perna cabeluda in Portuguese), which terrorizes Recife during Carnival. The motif is inspired by real-life reports from 1970s Carnival: a hairy leg was found in the mouth of a captured shark, prompting a police investigation. The story takes over the public’s imagination as it rampages in the background. It soon becomes a hot topic of conversation, ultimately distracting from the corruption and human rights abuses happening in plain sight.
To me, the hairy leg represents the disguised nature of corruption in authoritarian regimes. The story becomes front-page news and serves as a distraction. It viscerally represents the urban legend that state violence becomes. It is hidden in plain sight, slightly off-putting, and something that is much closer to you than you can ever admit. The hairy leg and its reign of terror are the same as the corrupt executive and his relentless pursuit of Moura’s character; it's ever-present but hidden. It consumes one man, but hides itself from the others.
A Career-Defining Performance
Wagner Moura, in what some have considered his magnum opus, is well-deserving of all the praise he has garnered over the past year. He earned that nomination and, in my opinion, deserved the Best Actor win. Credit is due to all the other nominees, especially the winner, Michael B. Jordan, but Moura’s stellar performance imprints itself onto the viewer. It is tinged with pride and exhaustion; the viewer’s world collapses as Moura’s does. He plays a man intent on surviving and thriving amidst turmoil, but finds himself unable to escape the paranoia afflicting him.
This is best exemplified in a scene where he is being interviewed about his experiences with the executive. It is a masterclass in restraint. Rather than choosing to lash out and portray the absurdity of the event through his emotions, Moura chooses to be still. It is the quietest and most sullen scene of the movie, a stark contrast to the frenetic pace of the rest of the story. With every close-up, you see micro-expressions that give the viewer only the smallest look into the chaos of the professor’s mind. Moura correctly chooses to be still and restrained; if he chose to act out his frustrations, the film would lose its credibility as one that demonstrates the hidden nature of corruption and greed in authoritarian regimes. Moura needs to be still because his environment demands it.
Final Thoughts
The Secret Agent is more than a neo-noir period piece. In fact, I’d argue that it holds greater relevance today than it would’ve in its time. Filho challenges us to reflect on the memories you hold of the past and remember the impacts of systems that once oppressed us. It is a warning, expressed through sharp paranoia and a frantic escape, of what once was and what could be if our society lets it happen.
I give this movie a 4/5. The performances from the whole cast, including Moura, capture your attention from start to finish. The setting envelops every aspect of the film, immersing you in Recife as if you were there, and giving the viewer an uneasy claustrophobia throughout. Amherst Cinema’s intimate screening rooms were the perfect place to watch a movie like this. The pace is exhausting; I left the movie feeling as if I had run a marathon, which is how Filho wants you to leave the theater.
If you don't believe me, check out the trailer and make your own decision about whether to see The Secret Agent. Be sure to buy some popcorn and a cold drink at the concession stand – you’re going to need them.
Check out more films like The Secret Agent at Amherst Cinema!
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Samuel Cavalheiro
