Manda Bala (Send a Bullet)

Movie Info

Genre(s): Documentary

Written by:

Directed by: Jason Kohn

Release Date:
Theatrical: August 17, 2007
DVD: April 8, 2008

Running Time: 85 minutes, Color

Origin: Brazil / USA

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Manda Bala explores the cycles of violence that plague Brazil’s upper and lower economic classes in fits of rampant corruption and violent kidnappings. The film chronicles these cycles by utilizing highly personalized stories that reflect the growing truth about Brazil’s huge economic disparities – differences that cause violence on both sides of the spectrum. A frog farm connected to a corrupt politician and one of the most powerful men in Brazil; a kidnapping victim who had both her ears cut off before she was released to her parents; a wealthy plastic surgeon who pioneered the procedure used to reconstruct the ears of kidnapping victims; and a kidnapper who has watched many like him escape the poorest parts of Brazil for the wealthier Sao Paolo, where they terrorize the upper class with kidnappings, theft and murder. Manda Bala explores the various cottage industries cropping up in response to the violence and links these stories to weave a compelling narrative about what happens in a country where the rich and powerful steal from the poor, and in turn some of the poor terrorize the rich. (City Light Pictures)

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What The Critics Said

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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 7.4 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Chad S. gave it an8:
People are sluts for the camera, even in Brazil. The frog farmer has a lot of chutzpah, like any number of guys who believe they won't crack under the pressure of hardline questioning. Bottom line: people like to talk, even if they have something to hide. But men with hubris possess a feeling of invincibility, so they foolishly grant sit-down interviews like volunteers for firing squads. The frog farmer bears a passing resemblance to the sort of people that Errol Morris profiled in "Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control". When the filmmaker loses interest in the agricultural aspect of his operations, the frog farmer asks the cameraman to stop shooting, after a question is posed to him about an alleged scandal that involved one of his friends. Right about then, the interviewer quietly slips off his gloves, and drops any pretense that he's shooting a quirky character profile about a colorful person's idiosyncratic obsession(the subject of Morris' documentary). The camera rolls on. The frog farmer looks a little nervous. Some will argue that "Manda Bala" is a stylish op/ed piece like Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11"(because the documentarian already had his mind made up about the subject), but the frog farmer's refusal to talk, backs up the prosecutor's claim that Jader Barbalho is more like a mafia don than a politician. This filmmaker scores a coup when he gets his subject to do an on-camera interview, although he won't talk about the frogs(the first rule of frog farm is- you do not talk about frog farm), which is better than Moore, who could never lure General Motors CEO Roger Smith in "Roger and Me". "Manda Bala" is exciting like a narrative film. It's better than Fernando Meirelles' "Cidade de deus", that's for sure.

Paul K. gave it a9:
Equally disturbing as it is fascinating. The information could have been presented in a more cohesive manner, especially the see saw of subtitles vs. language interpreters, but otherwise a well made doc.

Marlus F. gave it a10:
Manda Bala is an honest, accurate and courageous portrait that de-constructs the overrated Brazilian clichés (carnaval, women, soccer and samba). An eye-opening view of a society in a forced state of numbness and indifference before a surreal ultra violent reality and a non declared civil war. According to all international standards, Brazil is the most violent place in the solar system, with more them 45,000 murders per year and astonishing 630 cases of "flash kidnappings" per month only the the city of Sao Paulo. Kohn's initiative to bring these issues to the table give room to even more questions, specially concerning the middle class' struggle to survive and keep its physical integrity ans sanity between the clash of the extreme poor and the extreme rich layers of Brazilian society.

Alexandra gave it a9:
A very fascinating look at the Darwin-esque struggle between the very rich and the unimaginably poor in one of the world's most dangerous cities. Though the footage is gruesome at times, it does much to accentuate the brutality the people of Sao Paolo are faced with on a daily basis. The film linked all the stories together well; it exposes how the rich steal from the poor, and the poor seek vengeance on their oppressors. A very powerful, gripping, and well done documentary. I was completely captivated.