Elite Squad

Tropa De Elite

Reel DVD

R4 DVD

Reviewer: Bob Estreich

Director: Jose Padilha

Spanish with subtitles

This Brazilian film is undoubtedly the most savage police movie I have seen since Mad Max, but it’s far more real. It caused controversy in Brazil when it was first released by pirates and raised the Government’s anger when it depicted a side of Brazil that they would rather not acknowledge. It also highlights for those of us in our reasonably secure Western world that there are countries where an honest police force is not taken for granted.

Rio de Janeiro has more than 170 slums, known as favelas. These are generally ruled by drug lords and their well-armed gangs. Against them is a police force which is demoralized, under-equipped, and as a result largely corrupt. The police and the drug lords have reached an accommodation which sees the police doing little to combat crime, especially if it is drug-related, and supplementing their poor pay with bribes and protection rackets.

The only non-corrupt group is the Police Force’s BOPE, the Elite Group of the title. They are heavily armed, their training is paramilitary, and they are sent into the favelas when the local police cannot control the violence. Their tactics are vicious – they are, after all, fighting a war against heavily armed opposition. The story is narrated by Captain Nascimento (Wagner Moura) of BOPE. He is burnt out and just wants to retire from BOPE and spend time with his pregnant wife. First, though, he must find and train a successor.

Two rookies have joined the regular police at this time – Neto (Caio Junqeira) who is impulsive but throws himself into any task he is given, and Matias (Andre Ramiro) who is thoughtful, methodical, and believes passionately in the law. He is studying law at University. Their first assignment is the precinct car pool. There are only twelve vehicles for forty police, and keeping them going is a major task. Spare parts can’t be afforded, and even a new engine disappears from a car and is replaced with a worn out one, courtesy of a police officer supplementing his pay. The precinct Commander is as corrupt as any and is making enemies by gradually taking over their protection rackets from his subordinates, so he is no help. Neto gets the idea of stealing the Commander’s bribe money that is picked up by an officer each Friday, and then using the money to buy the car parts they need. His plan works but the Commander finds out who has ripped him off. He believes they were acting under the orders of Fabio, their Captain, who has been one of the biggest losers to the Commander’s greed. He arranges for Fabio to be executed by a cooperative drug lord.

The two rookies are caught up in the execution gun battle but are rescued in the nick of time by BOPE. They find that here are the honest well-trained cops they want to become, and are chosen to train for the squad. The training is brutal and degrading, designed to weed out the weak and corrupt, but they come through it and attract Captain Nascimento’s attention.

As a result of a subplot, Neto is killed by a local drug lord, Balano. If a member of the squad dies, it will be all out war in the favela until the killer is brought to justice or killed. BOPE will stop at nothing to achieve this – murder, torture, terrorism – their methods are well outside the law, but in the war in the favelas, they ARE the law. Matias must decide whether his love for the law is more important than revenge for his friend’s death, or whether BOPE can really make a difference in the only way that counts – killing the enemy. Is BOPE itself out of control, or simply the only way to maintain order when the law has broken down?

The book on which the film is based was written by two ex-BOPE members. The actors were trained by more ex-BOPE people. The actors are locals, not imported stars, and these factors give the film an impressive credibility. If further support for the film’s accuracy is needed, an Amnesty International report listed over 1,260 killed by police in Rio de Janeiro state alone. It is not surprising, then, that the film’s release was turbulent. Cast and crew were harassed by police and government, court cases were brought against the producer, there was a Parliamentary enquiry, and the pirate copy of the film was seen by millions of people before its official release. In spite of this it became Brazil’s biggest-selling DVD.

Wagner Moura’s narration is perfect for the role. He comes across as the overstressed policeman who believes they are at war, but he cannot see that their actions may be as bad as those they are fighting. The photography is not particularly high quality and the hand-held camera work does not help, but it does give the film a rather gritty reality. Much of the action happens at night and this would usually lead to even poorer film, but Padilho has lifted the quality here so night scenes are still easy to follow. Unfortunately the same cannot be said about the subtitles, which are in yellow superimposed over the film. This is about the only letdown in what is otherwise a superb film.

Tropa De Elite has won First Prize at the Berlin Film Festival, but so far does not seem to have been widely distributed internationally. Perhaps, like Mad Max, it will take a while for audiences to overcome their feelings about the violence and corruption. It may remain a cult movie until then. And that would be a shame, because it really is a fine film about what happens when the dregs of society come to power. If you want a film that is different and compelling, and will provoke strong emotions in the viewer, try this one. You will love it or hate it, you may condemn the violence, but it won’t leave you unmoved.

This review will appear in Volume 2 No.2 (2009) of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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