Review of The Given Word

I found this Brazilian film included in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, it is based on a famous stage play, it sounded like an interesting story, and was well rated by critics, so I looked forward to trying it. Basically Zé do Burro (Leonardo Villar) is a landowner from Nordeste, he has only one worldly possession, his best friend, a donkey named Nicholas, who he considers to have a soul. One day, the donkey is seriously wounded and falls deathly ill, out of despair, during a Candomblé session, dedicated to the goddess Yansan, Zé vows to carry a cross as large as Christ's, to the altar of the Saint Bárbara Church in Salvador, Bahia. After his donkey does recover from his illness, Zé builds a large cross with his own hands and tools, and begins his journey on foot to Bahia, accompanied by his wife Rosa (Glória Menezes). Zé arrives outside the steps of the church, which is closed, he is forced to wait for it to open, local pimp Bonitão (Geraldo Del Rey) is the only person to come and greet them, he offers to take Rosa to a small hotel, while Zé keeps his promises and stays with the cross. The local priest Father Olavo (Dionísio Azevedo) greets Zé on the steps, he is surprised but satisfied with the faith shown by him, until the detail that the promise had been done in a Candomblé session comes up in conversation. The priest berates Zé for impiety, believing his pledge and reasons behind it are "pagan", and forbids him from entering the church, soon many people attempt to manipulate the innocent and naïve Zé. The local Candomblé worshippers want to use him as a leader against the discrimination they suffer from the Roman Catholic Church, and sensationalist newspapers transform his promise to give away his land into a "communist". A crowd surrounds the church steps, the police are called by the zealots, when Zé tries to force the door to the church using the cross as a battering-ram, they order him to leave, but he faces up to them. Then a brawl breaks out, a gunshot is heard, the crowd cease fighting when they see that it is Zé who has been shot by the police, to prevent his way into the church. Zé-do-Burro lies dead by his cross, it's then that the black community, Candomblé worshippers, take his body, put him on the cross, and carry him inside the church to the altar of his favourite saint, they are unopposed by the priest or anyone. Also starring Norma Bengell as Marly, the prostitute, Othon Bastos as the Reporter and Antônio Pitanga as Coca, the capoeira player. This black-and-white picture is a really powerful story, a simple man making a religious vow who will not rest until it is done, having to contend with the impoverished people questioning whether his intentions are truly for God, as well as corruption and political issues, and the hounding of the media, a brilliantly provocative, fascinating and gripping drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film (the Brazilian and South American film to be nominated). Very good!