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Luis Carlos Vasconcelos,
Luis Carlos Vasconcelos,
Milhem Cortaz,
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Hector Babenco,
Hector Babenco
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: 
: Columbia TriStar
: Drama, Foreign, Prison, Latin America, Brazil
: 145 min.
: Portuguese
: English, French, Korean, Thai
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This title is currently out of print.
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Brazilian filmmaker Hector Babenco directs the confrontational drama Carandiru, based on the best-selling novel by Dr. Drauzio Varella. The episodic story is set in Sao Paulo's House of Detention (referred to as Carandiru), one of Latin America's largest prison systems. The doctor (Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos) is an oncologist who arrives in the jail to test patients for HIV infection. Seeing the disease, overcrowding, and rampant circulation of drugs, the doctor comes to realize the internal power structure among the prisoners. Several narratives develop, including the attempted murder of Dagger (Milhem Cortaz), the solitary confinement of Chico (Milton Goncalves), and the romance between Lady Di (Rodrigo Santoro) and Too Bad (Gero Camilo). The doctor eventually establishes a routine and sees the prisoners as survivors, leading up to the violent conclusion: a reconstruction of the October 2, 1992, prison riot known as the Carandiru Massacre. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
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| Prison as Paradise (for awhile)
by talltale
September 28, 2004 - 7:52 AM PDT
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4 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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| Whatever you may feel about prison movies (and they are not among my favorites), give CARANDIRU a shot. I've never seen a prison film like it because, instead of concentrating on the horrendous mistreatment of the inmates at the hands of the warden/guards, this one offers a look at how the inmates treat each other. And it's eye-opening. If the movie is to be believed (it's based on a book by the doctor who served in this prison), these guys set up quite a fascinating microcosm of the world we live in. Except that theirs appears to work better than ours! Because the doctor makes a point of getting to know many of the men, we also hear and see their back-stories and so come to care for them even more. With plenty of humor and pathos, this is an exuberant, heartfelt, humdinger of a movie--better in many ways than "City of God"--that made me think perhaps the human race DOES have possibilities. This, from a prison movie, is pretty amazing. (Note: If you're a huge fan of perfectly OK, if obvious and clichéd films like "The Shawshank Redemption," this one may be too much for you. What the hell: I'd still suggest giving it a try.) |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.60)
55 Votes
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| Cannes Film Festival & More - 2003 |
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| Official Selection, Certain Regards... and more. Here is a bit more information on the films screened at the Cannes. I have attempted to list all the films that were considered for an award as well as any special screenings. |
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