Pixote

5/5/19812h 7m

Premiere Release (US)

~ They can't outrun the law of the weakest. ~

Overview:

10-year-old Pixote endures torture, degradation, and corruption at a local youth detention center where two of its members are murdered by policemen who frame Lilica, a 17-year-old trans hustler. Pixote helps Lilica and three other boys escape and they start to make their living by a life of crime which only escalates to more violence and death.

Director:

Héctor Babenco

Status:

Released

Language:

Portuguese

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

prostitution
lgbt
disturbed
gay theme
critical
intense
depressing
complicated

Cast

Fernando Ramos da Silva

~ as ~

Pixote

Jorge Julião

~ as ~

Lilica

Gilberto Moura

~ as ~

Dito

Edilson Lino

~ as ~

Chico

Zenildo Oliveira Santos

~ as ~

Fumaça

Claudio Bernardo

~ as ~

Garatao

Israel Feres David

~ as ~

Roberto Pie de Plata

Jose Nilson Martin Dos Santos

~ as ~

Diego

Marília Pêra

~ as ~

Sueli

Jardel Filho

~ as ~

Sapatos Brancos

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

b
badelf
Written 1 year(s) ago
10
Those of us born with rights and privileges, however limited they might be, are kings and queens compared to those who are born with absolutely no rights or privileges. This film is a glimpse into the life of that lower caste.

It's easy enough for us to say "Well, you always have a choice." But here, the director, Hector Babenco, puts the final nail in the coffin of that idea. The film seems almost documentary, which is exactly what makes this opus a masterpiece.

With the exception of Marília Pêra, the actors were not actors. They were drawn from the inner city of São Paulo itself, where the film took place. The movie appears to be not even scripted, but improvised by the street kids that lived that life everyday.

Pixote is essential viewing for any international film lover. The thin line between art and life is erased by Pixote. So much so, that a few years later the film's lead actor, Fernando Ramos de Silva (Pixote) suffered the same fate in real as did his cohorts in the film.