Anyway, it was worthless.
Couldn't even speak.
There... there ain't much.
Get up.
It's crazy to go on.
We'll never get there.
We'll never get there this way.
You're so stubborn.
Try going back.
There's no end to it.
We should have arrived at midday.
The sand's hard on the feet.
Keep walking, you lazy critter!
Come on! It's there!
It's going to rain.
God willing and the Holy Virgin too!
It's a sturdy house.
Good pasture.
Good for fattening up.
Good pasture.
What happened to Tomás?
He went out on his own, like us.
Think he took everything with him?
I bet he left the grinding wheel.
Think he took the leather bed?
It was so lovely.
So soft and cozy in the corner of the room.
Tomás of the sugar-mill had the best.
Tomás was a worthy man.
Nice smell of tanned leather.
All it needed was a bit of lace
and it would look like a chapel.
A man of letters.
He always said the right things
even when it was going to rain.
He knew how to do things.
He could always mend everything
even other people's lives.
Even that! But he could never forgive the drought.
The farm has died without Tomás and the mill.
On day we'll have a leather bed like Tomás's.
Get your tools and go back.
I don't want anybody here.
I told you to leave! And now!
I'm a good cowhand.
I can do anything.
Maybe...
Are these your men? That's all?
And the dog. I'll do any job.
How much do you charge?
My usual. One calf of each four born.
A quarter's fine. You can stay.
Let's go, girl!
Spotty... you'll grow, my lovely!
100,000 réis per head.
Isn't that fair?
The boss says it's 100,000 per head.
The money will do to settle accounts with the boss.
We'll buy the leather for the bed with what's left over,
just like Tomás's.
We could spend less.
Yes. We'll spend less.
We'll sleep in a leather bed.
We'll be real dandies!
Do you want to settle today?
How much do I owe you?
Well... I mean...
Get the book. It's on top of the desk.
Sorry, but that's not quite enough.
No, it's right.
What my wife said is more. There must be some mistake.
It's the interest.
Haven't I been lending you money all year?
There's no mistake.
My wife knows her business.
She knows accounts. That's not enough.
Here's your pay. There's no more.
This isn't right! I'm no slave!
There are no slaves here. Take your money.
Otherwise, look for work elsewhere.
I don't employ impertinent upstarts!
No need for arguments.
Sorry, I didn't mean it. It was my wife's fault, Boss.
I can't read. She told me, it was that.
And I believed her.
All right, Fabiano. Get to work.
But I won't fall for it again. Sorry, sir.
I tell you Manezinho's wife betrayed him.
I tried her, but she wouldn't.
Do you have the tax form?
You have to pay taxes, you know.
Never heard of taxes.
Is this pig yours?
Is it for sale? Then you must pay taxes.
But that's not a pig.
It's a bit of a pig.
If you sell, you pay tax, you trickster!
You offend me!
Sorry. I thought I could just sell off my belongings.
I didn't know about no taxes.
Well, now you know.
I didn't know the Town Hall owned part of my pig.
But as you said, it's over.
I'll give the meat to my family. Can I eat the meat?
Can I, or not?
Stop gabbing and go home!
Come on! Don't dirty your clothes.
Give me one.
How much?
400 réis.
Why do you water it all down?
See you later.
The party'll be good?
Shall we play a hand inside?
Yes or no.
Let's see.
Go away... There's people here. Sit down.
Take another.
Give another.
What's the card? Turn it over.
- Whose turn? - Wait a minute.
Hold on, mister.
You have no right to harass the law-abiding.
Back off, you low-down critter!
That's no way to treat your partners,
to turn away and leave.
Is it my fault you threw in all your belongings?
That's bad manners.
Please take your foot away.
Son of a bitch!
Mummy, where's Baleia?
I don't know.
Has Baleia come back?
Neither has Father.
He resisted arrest and insulted me in front of everybody.
He must learn not to poke fun at the authorities.
Hand over the civilian.
Shut up!
Bastard! Scum of the earth!
Where's Baleia, Mum?
She's disappeared.
Disappeared?
- Anyone home? - Coming!
What can I do for you?
Tell the vicar I need to talk to him.
- Your blessing, Father. - God bless you.
Tell the doctor I've come for my godson.
What are you doing here, Fabiano?
Nothing, he's getting better.
Send him away.
Get on. I can walk.
The captain pays well. Going farther?
St. Ilifonso, as I sew...
make flesh and bones regrow.
Hear my plea three times o'er!
To hell with you!
May God bless you.
Mum, what's hell?
It's a horrible place.
How horrible?
Put your foot here.
Out!
Father, what's hell?
What?
Hell.
It's where the damned go.
Fires and red-hot pokers.
Have you been there?
Baleia...
Hell...
Hot pokers...
Hell...
Horrible place...
Hell...
Horrible place...
The damned...
With hot pokers.
Hell...
Miserable wretched life!
Working like a dog! And what for?
Not even enough to eat.
Imagine! You earn a pittance and lose it all gambling!
All I needed.
It's all drying up.
Devils... Hot pokers...
I want to die and get it over with.
We'll never have a real bed.
We were saving up.
We'd bought the leather and the wood.
All you do is talk.
I want to see something... I want to see!
There was money.
Who works here?
It is what it is.
It all went to gambling and drink.
Cost less than patent shoes.
Why expensive shoes? To walk like a parrot?
A bad sign.
The desert will catch fire.
The sun sucks up the water and that wretch takes the rest.
They want to kill the cattle.
You drink the water...
And the cattle go thirsty and die.
You kill the cattle.
It will catch fire. No use waiting.
Rustle up the stragglers.
I'll get the rest tomorrow and settle up.
I want it all here early tomorrow.
Go and find pasture.
We need to move tomorrow.
We can't. We have to get the cattle.
We must move early before the boss arrives.
Go get the orange cow's calf.
It could be a long trip.
Baleia...
Let's find the calf.
How do we get to the road?
Which way?
The end of the trail, to your right.
Come on, boy. We got to go.
Baleia...
Let's go, Baleia.
Go play with Baleia.
Stay still there. Come here.
He's going to kill Baleia!
Filthy varmint! Cry baby!
She's sick.
No use to anybody!
Baleia...
So where are we going?
Will we live like we did before?
Maybe. Who knows?
Maybe yes, maybe no.
Maybe we'll find somewhere even better.
Why couldn't we be real people one day?
People who sleep in leather beds.
Why do we always have to be wretched?
Running in the wild like animals.
We could run like animals like we've always done.
We have to walk a long way.
But my sandals are brand-new.
We can walk, can't we?
Yes, we can.
You're good for walking. You're strong.
You're well. You can walk a long way.
No matter. I'll just lose weight.
Down to the bone!
What are you thinking about?
Children don't think.
Them? A bit more and they'll put on weight.
They'll be herding the cattle.
Hard to imagine!
May Our Lady free them from that misfortune.
Cow-herding?
There must be a place for us in God's world.
Even just a poor plot of land.
As long as it gives enough to eat all year.
The Virgin will help us change our lives.
Nice land and plenty of corn and beans.
More than enough to bring up children on.
We'll have a new life.
Without having to run after cattle through scrub.
And then, living in a big city.
So many things to see.
These eyes have only seen misery.
The children will go to school and learn.
Until they can read a book and do arithmetic,
just like Master Tomás.
Big dreams. Master Tomás knew a lot.
But when he started out he never got there.
Did reading help him?
It didn't even get him two leagues down the road.
Who goes running in the scrub?
Hiding like an animal?
One day, we'll become real people.
We can't go on living like animals,
hiding in the desert.
Can we?
No, we can't.
AND THE DESERT WOULD GO ON FORCING STRONG
BUT SIMPLE FOLK LIKE FABIANO, VITÓRIA,
AND THE TWO CHILDREN TO THE CITY.