Queerguru’s Jose Mayorgas reviews 4K restores THE DEVIL QUEEN Brazilian film noir from 1974 by Antonio Carlos Fontoura.

Through kitschy opening credits, we are introduced to a House of Tolerance where matron Violeta (Yara Cortes) tells her girls to go out because Queen’s visitors are coming.  ‘Queen’ is a homosexual drug dealer lord crime named Rainha Diaba (Milton Gonçalves), and the visitors are her associates,  a diverse gang of armed men under the command of Catitu (Nelson Xavier).

The initial plot relates to saving Robertinho, Queen´s lover, from jail since the police look for him for trafficking marijuana to rich students.  Catitu as the leader of the group has his own ideas in mind and makes a deal with Bereco (Stepan Nercessian), developing the other plot of the film where Bereco´s girlfriend and showgirl from The Beloved Woman´s Milk, Isa Gonzales (Odete Lara)  does her part.

Catitu doesn´t like to have a fag for a boss and persuades the gang members to conspire against Devil Queen. Meanwhile Rainha Diaba  instructs her girls (a group of fierce and furious drag queens from Lara, Rio de Janeiro) to counterattack if necessary, against the favela gangsters and sex workers that are messing with her business.

What develops is a war on which betrayal and bloodshed are a constant.

A dated, colorful Brazilian film with aesthetics from 1970s filmed during Brazil´s military dictatorship, the tale is loosely inspired by 1930s gangster Joao Francisco dos Santos, reimagining his figure, setting an early and provocative representation of queerness.  Milton Goncalves provides an indelible Queen. 

A New 4K Restoration in theaters in NYC and LA on June 17th

Review by José Mayorgas , Guatemala, Central America lawyer and notary public, visual artist, and editor of El Azar Cultural, lives and works in Guatemala City. Cinema lover, curious about the possibilities life brings and eager to live the experience.