A beautiful and seductive story set in the southernmost state of Brazil, "O Quatrilho" (named for a card-game for four players) is based on a piece of modern regional literature and tells the story of Italian immigrants in the early years of the 20th century. Rio Grande do Sul, the land of the "Gaúchos," is known for its large numbers of Italians and Germans, who have brought their language, foodways, and culture with them from Europe.

 

The story revolves around two immigrant couples who set off to jointly found their own farms in the interior of the state. In the midst of achieving this, they end up switching spouses to make their own personal revolutions.

 

Fábio Barreto does a masterful job in telling the story by using the historic town of Antônio Prado as a fill-in for Caxias do Sul, one of the centers of the Italian immigration. The remarkably well-preserved town with its stunning wooden buildings is one of the stars of the film. Visitors to the town will note that many of its buildings are marked with signs showing the roles they played in the film. The town’s pride is well-founded as the film is really an excellent example of the creative use of historic settings, fine regional literature, and world-class actors.

Like "Gaijin," “O Quatrilho" presents a case-study of one of Brazil’s many immigrant groups and how their experiences have molded the nation.