“From Beginning to End”–two brothers in love (with each other)

“From Beginning to End” (“Do Comeco ao Fin”)

Two Brothers in Love

Amos Lassen

The Brazilian film “From Beginning to End” is the story of two brothers that develop a very close relationship when they are kids and this relationship becomes an incestuous love affair when they grow up. The film dives with candor into the lives of the two and it is quite intense viewing as it deals with one of the biggest taboos of Western culture. Thomas and Francis share the same mother but they have different fathers. They were raised together and they developed a great intimacy that is not rare among siblings. As can be expected from the very start of the film, an incestuous relationship will ensue. If the film was quite simply about a homosexual relationship, this would have been a wonderful film but with the subject of incest, there is conflict which aligns itself with reality. This conflict is not in the film itself but comes from the viewers. There is virtually no conflict in the film so we tend to think that incest is fine. The two men share their lives with no trouble and there is a lot of obvious love between them.
Aluizio Abranches directed this film and it is a shocker at first. As it progresses we are pulled into the lives of the brothers and we seem to forget that they are practicing incest. We see the brothers being close in their youth and before we know they have grown and are in love with each other. The fact that they are not at terms with society does not bother them and they live in a society where taboos are prevalent. Because their live is so perfect, it is also totally unbelievable to the viewer even with the gorgeous cinematography.
I, unlike other reviewers, loved the film. I see what happened here and that love blossomed and even though it is a bit hard to understand, neither man looked anything but completely happy.