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Carandiru
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Carandiru (2003) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 34 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2)
Carandiru (2003) -- US Home Video Trailer from Sony Pictures Classics
Carandiru (2003) -- Open-ended Trailer from Sony Pictures Classics

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   5,266 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Hector Babenco
Writers:
Hector Babenco (writer)
Fernando Bonassi (writer)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Carandiru on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
11 April 2003 (Brazil) more
Genre:
Drama | Crime more
Plot:
Film based on real life experiences of doctor Drauzio Varella inside dreadful State penitentiary Carandiru... more | add synopsis
Awards:
12 wins & 16 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Tiff Trailers: El Pasado (The Past)
 (From ioncinema. 30 August 2007)

Cannes Contestants
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 23 April 2003)

User Comments:
Harrowing, but heart-warming more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Carandirú (Argentina)
Carandiru: O Filme (Brazil) (trailer title)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong bloody violence/carnage, language, sexuality and drug use.
Runtime:
145 min | France:148 min (Cannes Film Festival)
Country:
Brazil | Argentina
Language:
Portuguese
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital | SDDS
Company:
BR Petrobrás more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The real Carandiru prison was demolished in 2002, it will be transformed into a park with arts facilities. One block (#2) was left intact to be used as a museum. The film was the last thing they used the prison before demolishing 90% of it. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: One of the inmates is wearing a Brazilian national team football shirt with four stars, representing the four times that Brazil was FIFA world-champion. But the movie ends in the massacre of 1992, two years before they won the fourth title. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in 2005 Glitter Awards (2005) (V) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
19 out of 22 people found the following comment useful:-
Harrowing, but heart-warming, 19 April 2004
Author: Iain Watson (iainwatson@yahoo.com) from Edinburgh, Scotland

'Carandiru' is a film based on the real experiences of Dr Drauzio Varella. He worked in Carandiru prison in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in the late 80s/early 90s carrying out Aids prevention work. During his work he came to know a lot of the inmates closely, and as he was a doctor got to see prison life in a way the other prison workers didn't. He made friends with a lot of the inmates, and learned a lot of their personal stories. The prison is extremely cramped, and the situation came to a climax in 1992. One entire block of the prison fell under prisoner control and a riot squad was sent in, killing 111 men.

The film is being dubbed by some as "this year's City of God", but it's very different to last years Brazillian smash. Where 'City of God' had some very flashy direction and MTV-ized zip-bang editing, 'Carandiru' is pretty straight forward. The film still has some great direction though, Hector Babenco has a leisurely style (matched by his actual output, it's been 7 years since his last film, and nearly 20 since 'Ironweed'), allowing the story the space it needs to breathe but still picking up the pace to build tension. Ironically the only section of the film I didn't really like was the bit that was the most 'City of God'-like. When the doctor is dealing with his patients he asks each one what their story is, and sometimes it's a bit forced, just like in 'City of God' with the "now it's my turn to tell you my story".

Where it's very similar to 'City of God' is it's themes - it's essentially a humanist comedy with a moral edge, dealing with love, hate, revenge, innocence and betrayal. The cons are poor and murderous, but lovable at the same time. If this film and 'City of God' are to believed drug-dealing thieving murderers all have their hearts in the right place and are all okay guys who just took a wrong turn on the road.

There's a bit of a stink being kicked up at the moment on the imdb forum for 'Carandiru'. A lot of Brazillian's are posting, very upset with filmmakers consistently showing Brazil in a negative light. I think that although both films do have that slant to them, they have actually increased interested in the country, and even more so the countries film output, taking it to a global audience. If all Scottish films are to be believed we're all a bunch of Glasweigan Gangster Hardnuts or heroin-addicted thieving murderers too, so I fail to see what the fuss is about.

The director drives home the real point of the film in the last 20 minutes. The overcrowding and in-fighting finally erupts into a full-blown riot that results in the main characters block being taken over by the prisoners. A riot squad enters, and the ensuing rampage is one of the most graphic and genuinely shocking ever committed to film. Definitely not for the faint-of-heart. I remember seeing the prison riot being reported in the UK news, and being appalled at how crowded the prison was, and how a government could let it reach boiling point like that. The last 20 minutes really smacked that home, but with the closing shots of the prison finally being demolished in 2002 you feel like there was at least some sort of closure on the tragedy.

The story is harrowing, but heart-warming, and the acting (mostly from unknowns) is top rate. It's my favorite film of the year so far, but do beware the last 20 minutes, you won't leave the cinema feeling happy.

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Stop making Brazilian movies about violence! IkeSCS
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The book Genevieve_X
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I would love to see this movie donee30
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