Aarcflick

 In one of the most poignant scenes at the end of Petra Costa's documentary, Apocalypse in the Tropics, the inverted head of the Lady Justice sculpture lies on the floor of Brasília's destroyed Supreme Court, alongside the bust of a bygone Brazilian politician, turned toward the wall, as if unable to bear the terror unleashed before their eyes. The hour and a few minutes preceding this scene ultimately seem like a slow, gradual build-up to such a devastating image, with the director focusing primarily on the connection between the rise of religious sentiment and the rise of the far right in Brazil.  While this connection has been made numerous times in film and literature, Apocalypse in the Tropics presents a thoroughly Brazilian version, replete with clever visual cues, beautiful imagery, and Costa's own determined, sensitive, and personal narration. Apocalypse in the Tropics is now available on Netflix and is a must-see for fans of serious documentary. It has been observe...