Filipe Neto Directed by Maria de Medeiros (actress that brought to this film her experience in Hollywood), this film is based on the Carnation Revolution, which depicts, and has a script by Maria de Medeiros and Ève DeBoise. The cast is headed by Maria de Medeiros, Joaquim de Almeida and Stefano Accorsi.The facts of this film succeed in April 1974: Portugal lives over a dictatorial conservative government for over forty years. Four years earlier, its main leader, António Salazar, died, but the country has not changed much: the political rights of citizens were few and the country was living focused on the war effort that held in its African colonies. Tired of that war and inspired by soviet propaganda, the Portuguese military decides to revolt, to install a military government and head towards Socialism. This is the story of a military coup that overthrew a dictatorship, an Empire and almost led to the establishment of a communist People's Republic in the westernmost corner of Europe.The Carnation Revolution is one of the major turning points in the history of Portugal but is still subject of debate, controversial and lit opinions in the country. We can also say that the Revolution was more this film's coup: it was a process of almost ten years, in which it won major breakthroughs but also committed huge injustices. It's nice to have a movie portraying this moment of Portuguese history, but would have been better a deeper film, less stilted, sensationalist or militant, because it would have shown better all the social divisions and different opinions and feelings of the people who lived that moment. That emotional and less politically committed side of events didn't appears in this film, which is basically leftist propaganda to the so-called "ideals of April."

dadie Principally it is the story of two men who were part of the Portuguese revolution. It was easy to understand the contest, but usually directors starts from a historical fact to speak about something else, or they shows also the period before or after this fact, here everything happen during that couple of days when the revolution acts. It could also be seen as a kind of documentary. The movie focalize to these two people, showing as normal they were, not like common heroes, because the revolution come from people. Although it was made from military army from the title you can understand that they were just "capitaes" as the main characters. Nice colors and lights during the whole movie, excellent work for the director being her first movie, she doesn't fall to the banal way. Well shown emotions and passion of people and crowd. The character of Maia (main one)is well-made and there is also a good interpretation for Stefano Accorsi, able to show Maia's limits, this not-being an hero.

philippBarnstorf You know? Our spirit is based on that revolution, it's asleep... I can explain, I think!! Well... Until that happen on 25th April 1974, our freedom was limited, we didn't had liberty of speech, but when we got it at the revolution, it seems that Portuguese People lost his opinion, we don't use our liberty of speech! That's all a consequence of the revolution! I think that's clear!... About the movie... I think that it has a few mistakes on some character's acting, but by the way I use to watch on Portuguese movies it's quite good!! I like it very much!

R. J. For her feature directing debut, Maria de Medeiros ("Pulp Fiction", "Henry and June") has certainly taken on a big story: the Portuguese Revolution of the 25th of April 1974. However, the film isn't a history lesson; rather a fictional story that introduces fictional characters and situations into the actual historical facts and places of the day, alongside some of its real protagonists. It's basically a schoolboy comic-book adventure, full of naive heroics and larger-than-life moments, quite well played and adroitly directed; the script is the weakest link, fanning out into a number of parallel stories some of which are rather pointless. The film exudes the contagious energy and juvenile joy of actually living out an adventure (although one might point out that no, the actual Revolution was not an adventure!), and it's precisely that schoolboy-adventure side that, along with its no-nonsense storytelling which adheres relatively faithfully to the actual run of events, is enough to recommend it. .