The Devil Queen

Antonio Carlos da Fontoura's 1974 Brazilian film is about the boss who runs Rio's criminal underworld. Known as the Queen, dressing as a woman, this figure sustains an order built on violence, but can trust nobody and is watched by their own men. The film presents the character as neither victim nor comic figure. The Queen is intelligent, ruthless and wholly in control; a queer character this central was not customary in Brazilian cinema of the seventies. Milton Goncalves carries the role. It was made under the military dictatorship and censorship conditions affected its circulation; the use of colour and the costumes draw on the street culture of the period. Who it's for: those interested in Brazilian crime cinema and the history of queer film. Who it's not for: viewers expecting modern standards of representation; the film carries the language of its time and aestheticises violence.