BUS 174
**** out of *****
Reviewed by Finger_Of_DOOM

Genres
Crime
Documentary

2002
Directed by
José Padilha
Felipe Lacerda
Written by
José Padilha

On June 12th 2000 Sandro do Nascimento, a dispossessed Brazilian, took hostage the passengers of a bus in Rio de Janeiro. The resulting standoff between a violent youth and a near-incompetent police force became a media circus. The worldwide broadcast was, for many, simply another dramatic event happening somewhere far away, another thrilling snippet of reality television. Into this setting step the filmmakers José Padilha and Felipe Lacerda. In seamlessly blending together the events of that day, the childhood of a young man destined for disenfranchisement, and the hopeless world of so many Brazilians living in poverty, the directors reveal to us the tragedy that was Bus 174.

This film is perhaps the most intense documentary I have viewed in a long time. The directors offer beautiful, soaring shots of the Brazilian city as a counterpoint to the gut-wrenching close-ups of homeless men and women trying to eke out an existence in a social system that refuses to acknowledge they exist. The documentary cuts mainly between a series of perceptive talking heads – police, street kids and social commentators – and actual footage of the besieged bus. I felt the strongest part of the documentary was the way Padilha and Lacerda found the equilibrium between these two aspects of storytelling, and easily moved the substance of the film from the former to the latter as the story progressed.

The only criticism I had of the film is not truly a critique of the production itself. I found that the fast-paced nature of the storyline and – quite frankly – the speed of the talking, coupled with long, quick subtitles actually made this both a pleasure and a chore to watch. If you lose concentration for the merest second you can become thoroughly lost. But if you commit yourself to watching a truly dramatic piece of history, you will be rewarded substantially – the horrifying childhood of do Nascimento, including the death of his mother – and will be left shaken, moved to the point of impotent despair.

Bus 174 is a piece of cinematic artistry that I would learn Portuguese for. For those of you whose only experience with documentaries is the mass produced propaganda of the late Michael Moore (I know he's not dead… if only) then this film is a true gem, a shining example of the power of truth in cinema. The film makers find the perfect balance between their viewpoint and the events of that tragic day and bring to the screen a story that evokes anger, frustration, sadness and understanding. I don't know how else to say this: You MUST see this film.

Finger_Of_DOOM's reviews also appear on DVD Compare, where they include details of the DVD release. For this review click here.

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