Acclaimed Argentinean director Hector Babenco (KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, PIXOTE), blends pathos and black comedy in this adaptation of the autobiographical book CARANDIRU STATION by Dr. Drauzio Varella, who worked inside Sao Paulo's now-defunct Carandiru Prison. In 1992, overcrowded Carandiru gained international infamy when .. Read more
| Starring | Luis Carlos Vasconcelos, Milhem Cortaz, Milton Goncalves, Ivan De Almeida |
|---|---|
| Director | Hector Babenco |
| Genres | Drama |
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Acclaimed Argentinean director Hector Babenco (KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, PIXOTE), blends pathos and black comedy in this adaptation of the autobiographical book CARANDIRU STATION by Dr. Drauzio Varella, who worked inside Sao Paulo's now-defunct Carandiru Prison. In 1992, overcrowded Carandiru gained international infamy when military police troops, called to quell a riot, killed 111 inmates. The Carandiru population contained murderers, drug dealers, and all manner of petty criminals--all guilty--but also driven to crime by Brazilian poverty. Dr. Varella, a renowned oncologist, arrived at Carandiru to help with AIDS prevention, but stayed and began to treat the inmates for everything from rat bites to rape, and in the process shared their life stories.
Director Babenco articulates the horror suffered by these men by recounting the darkly humorous stories of their families and personal lives, and then uses that empathy to show the terror of the police attack. After detailing the state-sponsored massacre, the film ends with the patriotic song "Aquarela do Brasil," providing one last emotional jab. Like his exploration of poverty and crime in previous films such as PIXOTE, Babenco creates a frenzied and emotionally weighted story, filmed on location in Carandiru Prison just before it closed. The film signifies the global need to improve social conditions and places a human face on the anonymous prison system.
| Starring | Luis Carlos Vasconcelos, Milhem Cortaz, Milton Goncalves, Ivan De Almeida, Ailton Graca |
|---|---|
| Director | Hector Babenco |
| Studio | SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 2 hrs 29 mins |
| Certificate |  |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | DVD: Portuguese |
| Dubbed | Spanish |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Subtitles | DVD: Arabic, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish |
| Released | Production year: 2003 To Rent: DVD: not available To Buy: DVD: 23 Jul 2004 |
Based on the memoirs of a doctor, Drauzio Varella, who administered at São Paulo's most notorious prison, Babenco's... read more on Time Out
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A film of the highest quality!!!!
Wow!!! This is probably the best film I've seen in a long time!!!
This film truely has it all... great photography, brilliant acting, an ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
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Gritty and absorbing
I thouroughly enjoyed this movie and the hard-hitting reality it represented. It is brutal and graphic, so not for the faint hearted but also deals with the ... read more »
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Just ok
I found this mildly entertaining just. Had a few funny stories in it but thought as a whole it was put together badly. Acting wasn't great either. Wouldnt ... read more »
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Highly recommend
One of my mates recommended this film to me. Great story, great characters, enjoyed this film very much. Based on an actual in prsion in Brazil..
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