The Man in the Black Cape
The Man in the Black Cape is a 1986 Brazilian drama directed by Sérgio Rezende. It tells the life of Tenório Cavalcanti, a Duque de Caxias politician who became famous as a gun-toting defender of the poor. He carried a machine gun nicknamed “Lurdinha” and used a tough, charismatic image to win big crowds. Born in Alagoas, he built a major political career in the 1940s and 1950s, founded the newspaper Luta Democrática, and served as Federal Deputy. He fought corruption and opposed powerful interests, but many people saw him as a ruthless killer. He ran for governor several times and, despite being anti-communist, was impeached by the military government in 1964. The film won Best Film, Best Actor (José Wilker), and Best Original Score at the Gramado Film Festival and was shown at the Moscow Film Festival. Some critics called it fascist or right-wing. There’s an urban legend that drug dealers in Rio offered “capa preta” packages in homage to the film. The cast includes José Wilker and Marieta Severo; the movie runs 120 minutes and is in Portuguese.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 13:05 (CET).