Let's first start with the term Tropicália itself. Too many docs pretent to give an all inclusive definition of the subject after which it is proven right by many examples. Tropicália doesn't fall for that trick. At the start Caetano Veloso is interviewed and asked what Tropicalism means. He starts answering, but hesitates. Rather, the doc discusses the various elements associated with it. It contained elements of music, culture, drugs, politics, revolt. Broadly speaking, a wave of culture associated with the sixties, in all aspects, but with specific Brazilian traits.
All through the fifties and sixties, the Bossa Nova was the leading style in popular music. Internationally acclaimed by the great jazz players, but sugar sweet and slow. It didn't contain any spark that would attract young musicians when at the same time they heard news from other countries about the whole liberation movement the hippies had started. So, while the military dictatorship in Brazil used more and more coercive force to hold on to power, it was logical that young musicians looked for other ways of expressing themselves. Following the British bands at the time, a more blues/rock orientation helped them to find just that. Mixed with Brazilian folk music, you get more or less the Tropicalismo sound.
Along with the music came the drugs. It's quite obvious from the documentary itself that the it was the hallucinatory era; colourful, liquid shapes are all around, especially the, what I'd like to call, unofficial footage. I mean, the documentary shows a lot of official footage from national TV. And even though that looks like festive occasions, the way it was registered on camera looked rather straightforward and corny.
One of the more interesting point in the docu is this influence of English music. As much of the movement was anti-imperialist, how come musicians look for British, and American examples? The docu shows some criticism of this aspect, but I guess that many rebellious musicians from other countries were considered as anti-establishment, and therefore acceptable.
Anyway, frontrunners like Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Mutantes, Gal Costa, used their growing notoriety for political purposes as well. They appeared at massive demonstrations in 1968 in Rio de Janeiro following the death of a student at a riot, after which the military regime tightened their grip on society. Moreover, both Caetano and Gil were arrested and put in jail for two months! After a few months of house arrest they went into exile for years. And that was about it. The Tropicalismo movement ends at the time when their most important members lived outside of Brazil. I don't think there is one point, or event, that closes it all down. As Caetano explaines in the film, the end came when he left Brazil. Now, you must know that Caetano has never been embarrased to put himself in the middle of attention. I think it is a bit more obvious to say it ended when he was allowed to return to Brazil in 1972, and he didn't pick up what was left of Tropicalismo. I'm pretty sure that he was allowed to return only after promising to stick to music and refrain from politics. I mean, maybe in the European context you might say that certain demands from the liberation movement were answered thus taking the sting out of the conflict. But in Brazil, during the seventies, the military junta tightened their grip even more. Did Caetano make such a promise? The documentary doesn't really answer this question. This way, it looks like Tropicalismo simply faded away, leaving traces in new bands like Secos e Molhados. But with a wave of so many different elements, it is hard to pinpoint what exactly is left of it.
I must say, I really enjoyed the film. Great editing, great music. Nothing too positive (as is sometimes the problem with Brazilian documentaries. I remember a eulogy of Pelé once...), well told, interesting quotes by key people. Personally I found the live performance by Gal Costa, almost Janis Joplin style, most surprising. So, let's say 4 out of 5!?
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