Pixote (1981)
"Pixote: A Lei do Mais Fraco" (original title)

The life of a boy in the streets of Sao Paulo, involved with little crimes, prostitution, etc

Director:

Hector Babenco

Writers:

José Louzeiro (book), Hector Babenco,

Stars:

Fernando Ramos da Silva, Jorge Julião, Gilberto Moura

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 9 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Fernando Ramos da Silva	...	Pixote
Jorge Julião	...	Lilica
Gilberto Moura	...	Dito
Edilson Lino	...	Chico
Zenildo Oliveira Santos	...	Fumaça
Claudio Bernardo	...	Garatao
Israel Feres David	...	Roberto Pie de Plata
Jose Nilson Martin Dos Santos	...	Diego
Marília Pêra	...	Sueli
Jardel Filho	...	Sapatos Brancos
Rubens de Falco	...	Juiz
Elke Maravilha	...	Debora
Tony Tornado	...	Cristal
Beatriz Segall	...	Widower
João José Pompeo	...	Almir (as Joáo José Pompeu)

Storyline

Pixote, a 10-year-old runaway boy, is arrested on the streets of Sao Paulo during a police round-up homeless people. Pixote endures torture, degradation and corruption at a local youth detention center where two of the runaways are murdered by policemen who frame Lilica, a 17-year-old transvesite hustler. Pixote helps Lilica and three other boys escape where they make their living by the life of crime which only escalates to more violence and death.

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Plot Keywords:

boy | runaway | escape | violence | corruption | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Release Date:

5 May 1982 (France)

Also Known As:

Pixote

Filming Locations:

Avenida Paulista, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embrafilme, HB Filmes

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film's star, 'Fernando Ramos Da Silva', who plays a young street criminal, actually was a street criminal before he made this film. After completing it he took up the criminal life again, and was killed in Brazil in 1987 in a shootout with police.

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Connections

Referenced in Z Channel: A Magnificent Obsession (2004)

User Reviews

Horror

"Pixote: A Lei do Mais Fraco" deals with what is perhaps the greatest of all Brazilian themes: poverty. And along with poverty the other unnatural feelings and actions it brings; prostitution, violence, crime, rape and murder.

Brazil is the country of paradoxes, and its social problems are present everywhere. The difference between the rich and the poor; the beautiful and the ugly; happiness and the most profound human decay.

"Pixote" is one of the films that dare to touch and open these so painful wounds, and does it without the slightest glimmer of hope, in an honest portrayal of a country that, like Pixote himself, is already lost.