Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad)

PLFDtropa-de-eliteDirector: José Padilha

Writers: André BatistaJohn KaylinRodrigo PimentelBráulio MantovaniJosé PadilhaLuiz Eduardo Soares

Actors: Wagner MouraAndré RamiroCaio Junqueira

Production Co.: Zazen ProduçõesPosto 9Feijão Filmes, The Weinstein CompanyEstúdios MegaQuanta Centro de Produções CinematográficasUniversal Pictures do BrasilCosta Films

Country: Brazil, Netherlands, USA, Argentina

Year: 2007

Language: In Portuguese with English subtitles.

Format: DVD

[ratings]

Summary: “After a prison riot, Captain Nascimiento, now a high ranking security officer in Rio de Janeiro, is swept into a bloody political dispute that involves government officials and paramilitary groups”–IMDb.

 

4 Comments

on “Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad)
4 Comments on “Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad)
  1. As the film progressed, my respect for Nascimento increased tremendously because, out of respect for his nation, he resisted the allure of wealth, power and prestige. Unfortunately, Nascimento remains an anomaly, and the corrupt political system maintains a pernicious cycle of violence, as seen in the Burn! and The Kingdom of This World, which has been marked by the commodification of human bodies (to the extent that they serve as easily disposable drug carriers) and the capitalization of natural lands and its resources. Herein, the film underscores social, political and economic discrimination, which mainly affects two groups of minorities: the poor and women. As the power hungry male remains in command, the nation prospers from dirtied income sources; and the disreputable male figure continues to act as though governments cannot be created with honest intentions because honesty equates to poverty, an undesirable attribute for mankind. On account of its veracity, the film disillusions and disheartens viewers with its concluding point—a government, even if “civilized,” cannot rid itself of corruption.

  2. Wow – Elite Squad is so fast paced and really adds another dimension to the violence that, at first glace, seems only to affect favelas. However, this move reiterates that violence within portions of a city effect violence in ALL portions of the city. By seeing how a group like BOPE functions, it becomes increasingly difficult to write their people or actions off as only good or only bad. As noted about, the violence is so pervasive that even Nascimento’s son gets shot right outside his apartment building. The movie contains so much violence and shifting of loyalties that it is hard to tell what is “really” happening. The ironic personal situation between Fraga and Nascimento is really uncomfortable and actually dictates a lot of Nascimento’s personal problems, as he struggles to have his son respect him and act cordially with his ex-wife. The favela is a central geographic location for much of the content of the film, juxtaposed by a relatively hi-tech office environment. Clearly, the favela serves as an urban periphery where anything flies and even BOPE members are killed by corrupt police officers to further their cause. The element of time (the movie begins with the same scene that the movie nearly ends with) which keeps the viewer on their toes (I actually really liked this move because it seemed like everything was falling into place and I had gained some real insight by the end). The movie ends on a note that is hard to digest: that fighting the system isn’t easy and the cycle of violence and corruption is not about to end.

  3. I really enjoyed Elite Squad because of the action and the storyline. Favelas are a huge problem in Brazil along with corruption, and this film puts both issues right at the center of the plot. Corrupt officials, along with corrupt cops (BOPE), allow for the continuous cycle of poverty in Brazil as well as the mass killings in the favelas. This film criticizes these corrupt brazilian institutions that prolong poverty and inequality in a country that has so much potential. The film also shows how getting out of the favela is not a simple task both for the police (BOPE) and brazilian inhabitants. Death is somewhat imminent. Human life in the favelas in not valued. The audience can observe this throughout the film. Survival mechanisms become essential in this film both for the corrupt cops (BOPE) and the favela gangsters. GREAT FILM!

  4. This story was extremely thrilling. We saw the corruption, poverty, and injustice in Brazil through the eyes of the police. This perspective is uncommon and made it that much more engaging. I was constantly torn between the police who were working for the greater good and those working for bribery. I still am unsure if I support the idea of a BOPE, but before we remove them, we would need to solve poverty and crime.

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