Bye Bye Brazil (1979) review

A circus troupe, consisting of mute strongman Swallow (Príncipe Nabor), rumba queen Salomé (Betty Faria) and Master of Dreams (and Clouds ... and Time) Lord Gypsy (José Wilker), drive through remote parts of Brazil to entertain crowds, they pick up accordion player Ciço (Fábio Jr.) and his pregnant wife Dasdô (Zaira Zambelli) to join them, but find the number of people who want to pay to watch them is dwindling because of technological developments (TV antennas are referred to as "bonefish").  As a road movie, it shows a country undergoing cultural changes and the hardships artists have to endure in order to survive (when they run low on cash, Salomé is asked to sell her body), except it's also oddly endearing, with Wilker as the fearless magician (and hype man), Zambelli as an "innocent" trapped up in the mania and Faria as a worldly spirit who exudes feminine energy.  There's a touch of melancholy to accompany the merriment - Salomé notes that "nothing lasts forever" - and yet it finishes up on a defiant note, as the show must go on ... although it helps if you can make a small fortune working in the ore industry.