film craftsmanship!

Rating: 10/10 (18 February 2003)

This isn't an easy subject matter to make a masterpiece out of it, but Meirelles has done it! This story is told in the most skilful of ways! All its bits and pieces are carefully placed and events are uncovered with flashbacks then when they really matter most! Innovating filmmaking molds the scenes and the acting is flawless. Yes, it is perhaps one of the most violent films I've seen but I don't think it is for the sake of spectacle or that it is a cold portrayal of gangs in Rio. This is a film with a striking social commentary. It exposes all levels and aspects of poverty and social inequalities in Rio and strikes us with the sheer magnitude of a problem that is real and ongoing! We see the fatalism of the ghetto, the corruption of the police, a society that never rewards good faith, the indifference of the system to intervene ("let them kill themselves" says the policeman), a system that supports the erosion and the self destruction of the masses. The protagonist is too human. He is the link between us and the jungle. The whole story is about a deep helplessness! Even "bad" Ze is really a helpless figure. Allow me to say that I think that movies like "The Lord of the Rings" is more violent in essence. 9/10 No doubt the best movie of the year.