The Territory (2022)
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The Territory Movie Review
The Territory is a 2022 internationally co-produced documentary film directed by Alex Pritz. It deals with an urgent issue in a mostly satisfactory manner.
When a network of Brazilian farmers seizes a protected area of the Amazon rainforest, a young Indigenous leader and his mentor must fight back in defense of the land and an uncontacted group living deep within the forest. Brazil has a huge problem with the deforestation of rainforests and its treatment of indigenous communities, which was exasperated even further during Bolsonaro’s reign.
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The movie, thus, deals with this very urgent issue with empathetic eyes and a clear sense of immediacy. Yes, sometimes it veered too heavily into depicting the issue in black-and-white with heroes and villains in a way, but the decision to give indigenous people a voice was great ass way too often these movies are made by people from other countries, especially Britain with frustrating narration. Here, the narration is much better handled.
The Territory as a film is more of a dramatic thriller than a documentary in its third act for better and for worse. It seemed overly hopeless throughout and I would have added a bit more optimism in this scenario as I am positive that not everything is as gloomy as they depicted it here, especially now with a new government in the country.
But the movie is gorgeously shot and the emphasis on the importance of film cameras in the tribe’s fight for rights and survival was terrific and crucial. The score, editing and directing are all very strong. The first half is particularly engaging and filled with many interesting, revelatory interviews while the second half is quite inferior and much less involving.
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The Territory moved too heavily into dramatic thriller territory near the end, but the first half is excellent and the movie deals with an urgent issue of Amazon’s deforestation and Brazil’s horrendous treatment of indigenous communities. This documentary gives them a voice, which was essential in this instance. It was also gorgeously shot and very well directed, though it could have used a more hopeful tone throughout.
My Rating – 4
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