Tropa de Elite (2007)
Brazil, Netherlands, USA, Argentina; 115min
Crime, Drama, Thriller
Director: José Padilha
Writers: Bráulio Mantovani, José Padilha
Stars: Wagner Moura, André Ramiro, Caio Junqueira

This Brazilian masterpiece, based on the book Elite da Tropa from several Brazilian authors, presents us a Brazilian social system and the special police of the federal state of Rio de Janeiro through the eyes of the main character and narrator, Captain Nascimento.

The first part of the film is focused on the presentation of the famous system in which moral boundaries between drug gangs and local police generally don't exist. The police is extremely corrupt, inefficient, and deeply rooted in the criminal system at all levels, particularly in the poorest parts of the country, the favelas. We are introduced to the system through the eyes of two young and honest police officers, Matias and Neto who quickly come into conflict with a corrupt police officers. After that they decide to apply for a special police, BOPE, under the authority of captain Nascimento who is in the process of seeking his replacement because his personal life is suffering. Meanwhile BOPE are on a special mission of cleaning favelas because of arrival of the Pope who insists on residing in their vicinity.

Almost every aspect of this film is flawless. The acting is perfect, while documentary directing fits the story perfectly and looks incredibly realistic. Visual impression deserves admiration because of the relative low budget of only 4 million dollars, which, fortunately, has conditioned shooting on real locations in Rio de Janeiro. Excellent soundtrack is also one thing that needs to be singled out. Rap das Armas stays in your ears for weeks after the movie.

On first viewing it could be difficult to understand complete story, especially because of huge number of characters from what majority is transient, but non of them are unneeded. Second viewing definitely ensures complete pleasure in superb cinematography but also a creeps because of the reality of system from which most of us are perhaps far away, but it is very much real.

Because of the better effect on story, special police is portrayed as completely pure and invincible what is of course far from the truth. However, activities and training of BOPE is accurately shown. Black uniforms, skulls, cruel training, methods of cleaning the favelas and the fear that they inspire are reality that is perfect for the big screen.

Ovo brazilsko remek djelo, temeljeno na knjizi Elite da Tropa nekolicine brazilskih autora, nam predstavlja brazilski društveni sustav i specijalnu policiju savezne države Rio de Janeiro kroz pogled glavnog lika i naratora, kapetana Nascimenta.

Prvi dio filma je fokusiran na predstavljanje famoznog Sustava u kojem moralne granice između narko bandi i lokalne policije uglavnom ni nema. Policija je krajnje korumpirana i neučinkovita, te je duboko ukorijenjena u kriminalni sustav na svim razinama, a posebice u najsiromašnijim dijelovima države, favelama. Upoznajemo se sa sustavom kroz oći dvojice mladih i poštenih policajaca, Matiasa i Neta koji vrlo brzo dolaze u sukob sa korumpiranim policajcima te se odlučuju na prijavu za specijalnu policiju, BOPE, pod zapovijedništvom kapetana Nascimenta koji je u procesu traženja svoje zamijene zbog povlaćenja iz po osobni život mu pogubnog posla, dok BOPE u tom periodu ima poseban zadatak čiščenja favela zbog skorog dolaska pape koji inzistira na prebivanju u njihovoj blizini.

Gotovo svaki aspekt ovog filma je bezprijekoran. Gluma je perfektna, dok dokumentaristička režija izvrsno paše uz tematiku i izgleda nevjerojatno realno, a divljenje zaslužuje i zbog relativnog niskog budžeta od 4 milijuna dolara koji je, na sreću, uvjetovao snimanje na autentičnim lokacijama u Rio de Janeiru, a neizostavno je spomenuti i izvrsni soundtrack.

Pri prvom gledanju može biti teško pohvatati radnju, a pogotovo likove kojih ima puno i velika većina ih je prolazna, ali nikako ih nema previše niti je ijedan nepotreban. No, drugo gledanje definitivno osigurava pravo uživanje u vrhunskoj kinematografiji, ali i jezu zbog realnosti tog Sustava koji je nama možda daleko, ali postoji i itekako je stvaran.

Zbog potrebe boljeg dojma, specijalna policija je prikazana kao potpuno čista i nepobjediva što je naravno daleko od istine. No, djelovanje i trening BOPE-a je navodno potpuno točno prikazan. Crne uniforme, lubanja, okrutni treninzi i metode čiščenja favela, te strah koji ulijevaju su stvarnost koja je kao stvorena za filmsko platno.