runamokprods
There are plenty of flaws – the doctor at the center of this prison story stays a grinning Buddha- like cipher, some of the prisoners feel like tattered clichés or soap opera characters. Yet, in the end, the total effect is amazingly powerful. By coming to see these men as real human beings with families and stories, before watching the insane storming of the prison by riot troops who killed 111 of them, the film has a real visceral power. Manipulative, one-sided, hokey at moments and some performances better than others, but ultimately that rare piece of agit-prop filmmaking that really works to make you see things in a different light.
FilmCriticLalitRao
I still fail to understand why "Carandiru" was ignored by inane Cannes film festival 2003 jury.Hector Babenco is a great filmmaker and I have seen "Pixote".This film provided me a great opportunity to comprehend his style.To my mind it is simply brilliant.When I saw this masterpiece at a cinema housing 1500 people,trust me when I say that I was not alone appreciating its greatness.There was absolute silence and the remaining 1499 people were glued to the movie screen. The best utility of this film is that it tells us that every human life is useful.It is the circumstance which forces people to lead a life of crime. From a sociological point,Carandiru is a film with purpose as it has shown how both White and Black people live in Brazil.Some of the scenes are incredible and the depiction of the prison is truly masterful.I was lucky enough to have met Gero Camilo who had a good role in this film.Even the performance by pop star Rita Cadillac is astounding.This film is a must see treat for every sensible film- goer. For those who think that Frank Darabont with "Shawshank Redemption" has mastered the art of filming prisons,watch out "Carandiru" will teach you a thing or two about the portrayal of prisons in films.
chris1jadesfire
My friend lent me this film and to be honest I was not really interested or excited about seeing it. I only put it on because boredom had took over me so I was not expecting to see a good film!! The film starts off with lots of characters shouting and arguing, also I am not used to watching films with subtitles so to say I was slightly confused would be an understatement!! 15 minutes in and I was hooked, I wont give anything away but the film focuses on a selection of inmates and their life in Carandiru prison. It also has sub stories on how they became to be inmates. Some amusing, shocking and interesting moments throughout the film will have the viewer completely tuned in to the way of life these inmates had. This is a true story about the massacre of inmates at the prison when police dealt with a riot. It is an amazing film and the ending is brilliant. I have watched it 4 times with different people and they too agree it was excellent. If you like prison movies and don't mind reading subtitles this film is for you. In my opinion its almost as good as shawshank redemption (my favorite film) and better than midnight express. This is only my opinion and I am sure people will argue otherwise but from me this film gets an 8 out of 10.
George Parker
"Carandiru" is a prison flick which takes the audience behind the walls and into the halls of an over crowded, dilapidated detention facility in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Unlike the typical Hollyweird version of prison life, you'll see a panoply of unusually happy and gregarious inmates who seem to have the run of their pavilion living in sweaty cells with open doors, many of the comforts of home including surf boards, TVs, plenty of drugs, civilian clothing, etc. all seemingly coping well with prison life until the end when a riot erupts. Part of this long 2.5 hour flick centers on a physician and wanders via flashbacks into the lives of some key inmate characters showing us how they managed to end up in the joint. The balance is a tedious tale of the ups and downs of inmate life from a program to stop the spread of AIDS to a gay marriage to a stabbing to lots of small talk to the final riot, etc. Well cast and adequately shot with the real deal for the prison location, this colorful flick has it's upside. On the downside, however, budget constraints were evident in poor effects, emotional investment is difficult at best, and what story there is seems trite and lacking focus. I found myself completely bored with it at the 2 hour mark. Recommended only for those interested in prison life south of the border who don't mind subtitles. (C+)
AD
