Marighella (film)
2019 film directed by Wagner Moura
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Marighella is a 2019 Brazilian biographical political thriller film directed by Wagner Moura, based on the life of Carlos Marighella, a Brazilian politician, writer, and Marxist–Leninist guerrilla fighter[1][2] accused of engaging in terrorist acts against the Brazilian military dictatorship.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][excessive citations] The film was adapted from the biography Marighella - O Guerrilheiro que Incendiou o Mundo (Marighella - The Guerrilla Who Lit the World on Fire), by Mário Magalhães. It is Moura's directorial debut.[12]
- Felipe Braga
- Wagner Moura
by Mário Magalhães
- Andrea Barata Ribeiro
- Bel Berlinck
- Wagner Moura
| Marighella | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Wagner Moura |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Based on | Marighella - O Guerrilheiro que Incendiou o Mundo by Mário Magalhães |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | Seu Jorge Adriana Esteves Bruno Gagliasso Humberto Carrão Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos |
| Cinematography | Adrian Teijido |
| Edited by | Lucas Gonzaga |
Release date |
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| Country | Brazil |
| Language | Portuguese |
Seu Jorge plays Carlos Marighella. The film also features Adriana Esteves, Bruno Gagliasso and Humberto Carrão.[13]
Cast
- Seu Jorge as Carlos Marighella
- Adriana Esteves as Clara Charf
- Bruno Gagliasso as Lúcio
- Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos as Almir
- Humberto Carrão as Humberto
- Jorge Paz as Jorge
- Bella Camero as Bella
- Herson Capri as Jorge Salles
- Henrique Vieira as Frei Henrique
- Ana Paula Bouzas as Maria
- Adanilo as Danilo
- Tuna Dwek as Ieda
- Guilherme Lopes as Crespo
- Rafael Lozano as Rafael
- Charles Paraventi as Bob
- Brian Townes as Wilson Chandler
- Wagner Moura as Interrogator (voice)
Reception
Marighella debuted at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival on February 14, 2019, but did not compete for the Golden Bear Award.[14]
The film received generally positive reviews from critics. As of July 2025[update], 89% of the nine reviews compiled by Rotten Tomatoes are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[15] The film has also attracted social and political controversies. Stephen Dalton, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, observed that Moura presents Marighella as a martyr for liberal values even though the real Marighella was a self-proclaimed far-left Marxist.[16] Marighella's ethnicity was also debated. He is portrayed as black in the film and played by a black actor. Many critics noted, however, that Marighella was actually mixed-race (his father was an Italian immigrant).[17] Moura responded that "there's no way to discuss any social issue in Brazil without talking about racial issues. For me, Marighella had to be black."[17]
The movie was subject to politicized ratings on IMDb, leading the website to note that "unusual voting activity [had been detected]... An alternate weighting calculation has been applied."[18][better source needed] In 2022, IMDb offers an aggregate 6.6 (out of 10) ranking. Conservative digital activists low-ranked the film, which was countered by progressive activists and artists aligned with Moura offering high scores;[19][20] in 2022, 95% of the film's rankings are at the extreme of 1 or 10. This distribution suggests that the majority of evaluations were based on ideology rather than cinematic quality; IMDb removed the activists' "critiques."[21]