You may not have noticed, but this country seems to have been developing a bit of a cinematic obsession with Brazil over the past few years. Most cinephiles have affection for the spectacular 'Cidade de Deus,' ('City of God') which hit our shores in 2002 but took about a year to gain its due respect. In the meantime, a fascinating documentary about a hostage situation in Rio de Janeiro, 'Bus 174' made the festival rounds. Just last year, I had the pleasure of reviewing 'O Caminho das Nuvens' ('The Middle of the World'), a Brazilian film from 2003, released here through Film Movement. Later this year, another highly acclaimed Brazilian release, 'Tropa de Elite' ('Elite Squad') is due for limited release.
The latest, greatest Brazilian film, however, turns out to not be from Brazil at all. 'Manda Bala' ('Send a Bullet') is an enthralling documentary by an American filmmaker, Jason Kohn. The film parallels the rise of kidnappings in the city of Sao Paulo with a history of political corruption within the country. The dynamic between the rich and the poor within Brazil is also the engine that drives all the films I previously mentioned, with an emphasis on the extremes that the desperate members of society will resort to. The new twist in 'Manda Bala' is the additional exploration of a corrupt system that used economic development in the northern part of the country as a cover to embezzle funds, providing a more explicit exploration of the cause and effect relationships that simultaneously affect the government and the citizens in complex ways.
Instead of a broad survey of the situation, 'Manda Bala' takes the more elegant approach of presenting the stories of individuals to illuminate the larger issues. This is a more risky approach, but Kohn proves to be a natural at this. Perhaps this is related to Kohn's background as a research assistant with master documentarian Errol Morris. The result is reminiscent of Morris' best work, melding a flair for visuals with a compelling humanism. The film is filled with spectacular views of Brazil and inventively shot interviews, all presented in glorious widescreen. Add in a smattering of smart musical choices, and you have a documentary firing on all cylinders. It's not surprising that the film took the Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance last year and received an Excellence in Cinematography Award to boot.
The title, 'Send a Bullet' doesn't have a direct literal meaning in the context of these stories, but many of these people live in the shadow of violence. One subject is a police officer assigned to a unit exclusively devoted to kidnappings who has taken several bullets, another is a businessman who buys bullet-proof cars and takes courses on how to evade kidnappers. We also meet a former victim who lost an ear in a ransom plot as well as a doctor who is a specialist in ear reconstruction. Some of the stories (particular that of the kidnapping survivor) are harrowing, but others are hopeful. The commitment of some of the police and politicians to bring wrongdoers to justice, regardless of status, is heartening.
By focusing on the human drama behind the headlines, 'Manda Bala' brings the documentary to the same level of the best fiction. This is a haunting film that I won't soon forget.