Neon Bull has received almost nothing but fine notices in its lead-up to a theatrical release, over the past few months earning plaudits for its vision of non-masculine lifestyles and aspirations within the ostensibly macho world of Brazilian bull-handling and rodeos. Along with posting a complimentary, if not slightly hesitant, review out of last fall’s Hamburg Film Festival, we named it one of the 50 best 2016 films we’ve already seen.
Being that Kino will begin releasing Gabriel Mascaro‘s picture next month, a domestic trailer has arrived. We think it’s worth taking note of, at least when our review says, “[Even] within this loose storytelling structure, Neon Bull still functions as a casually transportive experience and a compelling investigation of masculinity in modern-day Latin America. Driven by Mascaro’s freely associative direction that draws heavily from the physicality and animalistic nature of rodeo races, the film approaches human sexuality on a subliminal level that feels raw, essential. By breaking down taboos like explicit phallic depictions and the asexual sanctity of pregnant women, it further gains a subversive edge usually seen in queer cinema. Cinematographer Diego García, who also shot Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s mesmerizing Cemetery of Splendour, provides by turns breezily idyllic and swelteringly sensuous images here.”
Watch it below:
Synopsis:
Wild, sensual and utterly transporting, Brazilian writer-director Gabriel Mascaro’s second fiction feature unfolds within the world of the vaquejada, a traditional exhibition sport in which cowboys try to pull bulls to the ground by their tails. Neon Bull explores the vaquejada through the eyes of Iremar (Juliano Cazarre), a handsome cowboy who works the events. While he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty, Iremar’s real dream is to design exotic outfits for dancers.
Neon Bull will begin its theatrical run at the Film Society of Lincoln Center on April 8.