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OK tin, finally it happened. And I could see exactly why you liked it so much.To be sure, there is definitely strength in that documentary film. The events and the emotions are far too real, and the makers managed to convey much of it. And in more skillful hands this 122 minute films could have become leaner but also more poignant in process.
The most interesting part of it is the actions of authorities, the complete lack of initiative and the apparent paralysis, coupled with the painfully low level of readiness and just general intelligence. It was torture to watch the cops simply standing around, while the perpetrator abusing his hostages.
The problems I am having with this still good film are two-fold.
For once, the direct message was how the horrible ways the Brazilian society treats its underclass produces criminals. There is an undeniable truth to that, no question... the scenes of prison interior, of police brutality, etc are all to the point and strong.
What was painfully missing, though, was the role of the individual person in all that. I did not see much in the way of stating one simple fact - in spite of all bad things happening around, it is still the individual's choice in the final analysis.
And second problem was in overdoing the narrations. At some point it became tedious, not providing any new insight, just repetitious and plain boring. This is where good editing would have done much good.
Frankly, in the last 40 minutes I watched those personal stories accounts in a x2 mode, where I could still read the subtitles, and it made it more palatable.
So on the top level I agree with you - this is a film that is easy to recommend. But those faults did damage the overall impression.
Follow Ups:
it underlined the exhaustively long time the crisis continued. I felt the tension continued to build and I felt a deepening sense of dread.
All documentaries have a point of view. I don't wish to get into a sociological argument with you about what causes one person to choose crime and another not but it's quite apparent, unless Russians and Brasilians are more violence-prone than other peoples, that something in our societies (sorry for the our but c'mon, your surname...) is influencing all this violence (I'm sure you know Russia and Brasil lead the world in incarcerations, though the US isn't far behind). Brasil has BY FAR the most inequitable distribution of income. There is lots of hunger, serious health, and child homelessness and abandonment. What do these kids grow up to be? Not Bill Gates or the Pope, I assure you. Sorry, I guess I did open the nature vs. nurture can of worms.
Over narration?
I didn't notice, frankly, because I was too horrified, expecting the worst at any moment.
For those who are Cariocas (residents of Rio) or Paulistas (of Sao Paulo), this film has an immense emotional impact. Immense. Everyone either knows or is related to someone that has been mugged, hijacked, kidnapped, or had their home "invaded."
From our comfortable living rooms, in our largely safe neighborhoods, it's hard to imagine such a splendid environment as Rio harboring such senseless violence and mayhem.
That Garden of Paradise has many, many serpents.
I will give you your first point. And while I do agree there is inherent brutal inhumane society pressure, I still don't see it as the all-encompassing answer. Not all people respond to the same pressure in the same way, and if we forget about that free will thingy then we simply reduce the human beings to single-cell organisms with their primitive reactions.
Many Brasilian criminals, the worst violent ones, begin life on the streets. Out of necessity, for survival, they band together. Child prostitution, glue-sniffing, and violence is their world. Now, a child that knows NO love or human kindness, that is raped from age four onwards (would any child willingly prostitute himself?), that lives in constant fear of kidnap and death by groups which kill kids to sell their bodily organs (perhaps an urban legend, perhaps not: the fear on the street, however, is very real) or by police death squads that periodically "cleanse" the district---yes, I suppose a child can come through a life like that, get a regular job, put themselves through a GED program, and become successful.
Bald eagles may also fly out of my ass at any time.
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