Tropa de Elite (2007)

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

Director:

José Padilha

Writers:

André Batista (book), Bráulio Mantovani

Stars:

Wagner Moura, André Ramiro, Caio Junqueira

46 wins & 16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Wagner Moura	...	Capitão Nascimento
André Ramiro	...	Aspirante Matias
Caio Junqueira	...	Neto
Milhem Cortaz	...	Capitão Fábio
Fernanda Machado	...	Maria
Maria Ribeiro	...	Rosane
Paulo Vilela	...	Edu
Fernanda de Freitas	...	Roberta
André Di Mauro	...	Rodrigues (as André Mauro)
Fábio Lago	...	Claudio Mendes de Lima 'Baiano'
Erick Oliveira	...	Marcinho (as Erick Maximiano Oliveira)
Patrick Santos	...	Tinho
Rafael d'Avila	...	Xuxa
Roberta Santiago	...	Rose
Emerson Gomes	...	Xaveco

Storyline

In 1997, before the visit of the pope to Rio de Janeiro, Captain Nascimento from BOPE (Special Police Operation Battalion) is assigned to eliminate the risks of the drug dealers in a dangerous slum nearby where the pope intends to be lodged. Captain Nascimento is trying to find a man to replace him because his wife is pregnant and he intends to quit the command and become a trainer of the new recruits. Meanwhile, the two idealistic friends Neto and Matias join the Military Police force expecting to become honest policemen and fight the criminals. However, they see only corruption, lack of competence and stupid bureaucracy in the Military Police, and after a serious incident in the Morro da Babilônia, they decide to join the BOPE. The lives of Capitain Nascimento, Neto and Matias are entwined along the next months, first in the tough training period and then in action against drug dealers. Nascimento believes that Neto could be his substitute, but his impulsive attitudes jeopardizes ...

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Plot Keywords:

military police | rio de janeiro brazil | brazilian military | rio de janeiro | south america | 

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Taglines:

From the Writer of 'City of God'

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

M/16

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Brazil] TFM Distribution [France]

Country:

Brazil USA Argentina

Language:

Greek Latin French English German Italian Spanish Portuguese

Release Date:

10 July 2008 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Tropa de Elite

Filming Locations:

Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Box Office

Budget:

$4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,604, 21 September 2008

Gross USA:

$8,744

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,067,078

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zazen Produções, Posto 9, Feijão Filmes

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Caio Junqueira was initially considered too old for the part of Neto. He then auditioned for the part of Capitão Fábio, but opted for a performance that would convince the casting staff he could still be a viable choice for Neto, in spite of his age. He successfully conveyed that message, and Milhem Cortaz got to play Fábio instead.

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Quotes

Coronel Otávio: Trainee, you're gonna do this report again. Look at this: "Body was found at the beach". Deaths at the beach, my son, are tallied as "drownings".
André Matias: But Commandant, the body had a bullet perforation.
Coronel Otávio: [shouting] And are you a coroner now?

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Connections

Referenced in Esperando Godard (2012)

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Soundtracks

Polícia
Written by Tony Bellotto
Performed by Titãs

User Reviews

Holy mother of corruption and truculence!!!

"City of God" was just a perfect movie. "Elite Squad" goes beyond that; it's a WTF movie.

Brutal realism, terrific acting (Wagner Moura... wow), brilliant script and plot, precise edition, unforgettable quotes... This movie is just insanely good.

If you live in a developed country you'll probably think this is just another thriller. For anyone living in a 3rd country it's way more than that: it's a brutal picture of our degradation and corruption, a revelation that runs over you like a truck.

The most striking aspect about the movie is how clearly it shows how everyone is at the same time guilty and victim in the whole war against drugs: the do-gooders NGOs, the politicians, the corrupt police and the not-corrupt but truculent "Elite Squad". It shows it precisely but with sense of humor and very smartly. In this war, everyone that proclaim to have moral and values is actually hiding skeletons in the closet. It's all a story of gangsters against gangsters in a degraded society.