Baptism of Blood

Helvécio Ratton's 2007 Brazilian film tells the story of Dominican friars who joined the resistance to the military dictatorship at the end of the sixties. Frei Betto, Frei Tito and their companions help an armed resistance organisation; when caught they are tortured, and Tito cannot recover afterwards. The film is adapted from Frei Betto's own book, and its hardest passages are how it depicts torture: without display, but softening nothing. The question at the centre is faith: how Christian morality reconciles itself with violence and what that costs. Caio Blat's Tito carries the film. The narrative is episodic and some supporting figures pass without introduction. Who it's for: viewers interested in Latin American political history and films about the dictatorship years. Who it's not for: anyone avoiding scenes of torture, or wanting a hopeful close.