Black God, White Devil was a fascinating exploration of how a society in flux can either resist or succumb to authoritarian control. I saw Manuelo’s journey as a man who lacks the self-actualization to truly be free. Despite his newfound state of being a man on the run, he spends his time in the film trying again and again to replace his oppressor with a new one. From his initial rebellion against his tyrannical boss, Manuelo’s journey begins bleak but hopeful that he may have escaped the oppression that kept him and his family in poverty. But rather than seek freedom, he continuously finds himself bound again in again. Through religion and the Cangaceiros, he is subservient. First in Sebastian and then in Corisco, he is trapped This film bleakly examines the cyclical nature of radicalization on both a personal and national level. I liked the point made in our class discussion about how Rosa is the one who sees things as they are. Although she suffers immensely under the decisions of her husband, she never falls victim to his subservient mentality. Watching this through a feminist lens posits interesting questions on how the feminine experience (or an identity other than the default) may change ones view on economic subjugation since they experience it twofold.