New Brazlian Flick : “Tropa Elite” Or, Why Brazilian Rich Kids Are To Blame For Favela Violence
15 October 2007, 11:30 AM. By Daniel Mauser
Every once in a while, we hear of a really good movie out of Latin America, and for some reason most of those come from Brazil. Movies like “Black Orpheus” the mythological samba-bustin modern love tragedy; “Central Do Brazil” the heartfelt story of a boy who is seeking his long-lost mother through the help of a ‘correspondence-reader’; “City of God” which takes a peek into the favelas, or slums of Brazil and the misery in the life of those that inhabit them. And now, “Tropa de Elite”, or “Elite Troop” a docu-drama about the police-drug wars in the favelas of Rio. The film is already out in theaters nationwide in Brazil and will be coming to the States soon –probably to a little artsy theater near you. A pirated version of the movie has been leaked and apparently has been seen by over 11.5 million people, causing quite a buzz around the movie’s official release.
The film has received a lot of attention for exposing the brutal tactics that the State Police Special Operations Battalion (BOPE) uses to hash out drug criminals –apparently they come in, guns a blazin’, without any form of warning –and many innocent civilians get caught in the middle of the violence.
The Rio police have tried to keep the movie from hitting the theaters but they have failed. And a colonel of internal affairs has tried to bring the movie’s director, José Padilha, in for questioning, which has only made the film even more popular.
Special police units have been operating in Latin America for a long time now, (in Mexico they are called “Death Squads”), but this is the first time we’ve heard that a movie has been done about it.
And, apparently the film implies that the middle and upper classes of Brazil are to blame for creating the demands for the drug market that lead to all the violence. Poor Brazilian rich kids, not only do you have to endure blogs patronizing you for being your fabulous selves, now you have to put up with indirect accusations for your country’s violence. We feel so bad for you. Sniff, sniff. Or, is it snort, snort?
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This sounds like a good flick, too bad I have contributed to its production in more than one way.
Police violence in Brazil? Wow, there’s a topic the film industry hasn’t beaten to death.
Cidade de Deus was pretty good, but Onibus 174 was the best documentary about it. Its not very big here, but its lyk, really good.
In Rio, you can savor a delicious caipirinha while viewing the sporadic shoot outs that take place up on the hills in the favelas.
I guess it would be easier for you guys in the US to understand the movie this way:
Does anyone say anything about death squads in the army at Iraq? This is war my friends, at war there are no rules.
And of course you guys love war movies and have done just a few right? LOL
War is War