Tropa de Elite (2007)

Director:

José Padilha

Writers:

André Batista (book)
John Kaylin (adaptation)

Release Date:

12 October 2007 (Brazil)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

On the streets of Rio only the elite survive.

Plot:

1997, Captain Nascimento has to find a substitute for his occupation while trying to take down drug dealers and criminals before the Pope comes to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Slum | Favela | Rio De Janeiro Brazil | Brazil

Awards:

28 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Wagner Moura	...	Capitão Nascimento
Caio Junqueira	...	Neto
André Ramiro	...	André Matias
Maria Ribeiro	...	Rosane
Fernanda Machado	...	Maria
Fernanda de Freitas	...	Roberta
Paulo Vilela	...	Edu
Milhem Cortaz	...	Capitão Fábio
Marcelo Valle	...	Capitão Oliveira
Fábio Lago	...	Claudio Mendes de Lima 'Baiano'
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bruno Delia	...	Capitão Azevedo
Marcelo Escorel	...	Coronel Otávio
André Felipe	...	Rodrigues (as André Mauro)
Thelmo Fernandes	...	Sargento Alves
Emerson Gomes	...	Xaveco
Paulo Hamilton	...	Soldado Paulo
Bernardo Jablonski	...	Law teacher
Daniel Lentini	...	Rapaz 3 da Festa
Thiago Mendonça
Alexandre Mofatti	...	Sub-Comandante Carvalho
Erick Oliveira	...	Marcinho
Otto Jr.	...	Major Gouveia
André Santinho	...	Tenente Renan
Patrick Santos	...	Tinho
Ana Paula Secco	...	Mãe de Romerito (as Ana Paula Secco)
Ricardo Sodré	...	Cabo Bocão
Thogun	...	Cabo Tião

Also Known As:

Elite Squad (UK) (USA)
The Elite Squad (Europe: English title) (festival title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language and drug content.

Runtime:

115 min | Germany:118 min (Berlin International Film Festival)

Country:

Brazil | Netherlands | USA

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:16 | Argentina:16 | USA:R | UK:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Ireland:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Norway:15 | Hong Kong:IIB | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | Australia:MA | Germany:18 | France:-16

Filming Locations:

Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Company:

Zazen Produções

Trivia:

The university where part of the film was shot is PUC, located at the pleasant neighborhood of Gávea, at Rio de Janeiro, a very traditional elite school and considered the best private university in Brazil, and one of the best educational institutions in South America. This is where André Batista, one of the film's screenwriters, attended law school. He was a member of BOPE and was the inspiration for the character of André Matias, a honest man who finds himself torn between his life as a BOPE member and his life long dreams of being a lawyer.

Quotes:

Baiano: [Baiano is surrounded by the BOPE soldiers, having a handgun pointed to his face] ... N-not in the face, boss.
Capitão Nascimento: Say what?
Baiano: Don't shoot my f-face, you'll ruin my funeral...
Capitão Nascimento: [Capitão Nascimento puts the handgun away] Soldier 07, hand me the 12-gauge.
Baiano: Please no, boss...
Capitão Nascimento: [Handing the 12-gauge shotgun to soldier Mathias] Do him, he's yours.

Movie Connections:

References Batman (1989)

Soundtrack:

Morro do Dendê

Amazingly good... and horrifying

Tropa de Elite is an amazingly good film; by turns brutally real and horrifyingly hilarious.

It claims to be based on a true story and I find that sadly believable. The main plot revolves around the captain of an elite police unit trying to find a replacement for himself, while dealing with the birth of his child and the horrendous stress of his job, and a mission to clear out a dangerously violent slum.

There are no wholly good people in the movie, and it's frighteningly easy to compare some of what goes on to things happening in the USA (and other places) today. That said, the system of government and policing portrayed comes across as so amazingly inept and awful that it's almost like something straight out of a nightmarish sci-fi dystopia.

If I had to compare it to other movies, it comes off as a cross between Brazil, Office Space, and Full Metal Jacket. Not for the weak of stomach, and you may find yourself greatly disagreeing with the ideals of various groups portrayed (which I believe is part of the point), but I would be enormously surprised if this movie doesn't make you think and give you something to talk about.