2026 has been a yr in contrast to every other for Brazilian cinema, with The Secret Agent sweeping awards and Wagner Moura charming audiences each on display screen and on the purple carpet. He has been our biggest residing actor for some time now, however whereas his large worldwide break got here with Narcos again in 2015, the world first took discover of him means earlier, in 2007’s crime motion movie Elite Squad. Having received the Golden Bear a yr later, the film by José Padilha helped put Brazil again on the map for the primary time since Metropolis of Godand, curiously, tackled a number of the identical points, however with an inverted lens. Most of its success comes from Moura’s highly effective portrayal of police anti-hero Captain Roberto Nascimento, although, a job in contrast to every other in his profession.
The ‘Elite Squad’ Films Deal with Endemic Police Corruption and Violence in Brazil
Crime and police brutality within the favelas has all the time been among the many favourite topics of Brazilian cinemawith motion pictures like Metropolis of God tackling it head-on. Elite Squad does it, too, however breaking with extra conventional approaches by wanting into the police, the way it operates, and why. The story follows Captain Nascimento as he appears to be like for potential replacements for himself at BOPEa army police pressure identified for its brutal effectiveness and obvious incorruptibility. Beneath immense strain to pacify the favelas forward of Pope John Paul II’s go to to Rio, he approaches this as his closing mission.
As a substitute of selecting somebody from inside BOPE, nonetheless, Nascimento units his sights on two newcomersaspiring officers Neto Gouveia (Caio Junqueira) and André Mathias (André Ramiro), with the thought of coaching them from the bottom as much as change him. Earlier than becoming a member of BOPE, Neto and Mathias frolicked working within the state police, the place they discovered that corruption has taken root at just about each stage. Seeing BOPE as the one chance of creating a distinction, they find yourself on Nascimento’s radar after almost dying in a poorly conceived and off-the-books mission to save lots of a corrupt colleague.
In 2010, José Padilha launched a sequel, Elite Squad: The Enemy Insideand expanded the scope dramatically. Set 13 years after the unique, Nascimento is now a state congressman in Rio, shifting his efforts from street-level to institutional energy. Extra simple in its message, The Enemy Inside treats systemic corruption as the primary antagonist and appears into how militias, corrupt politicians, and media pursuits maintain the wheel of violence turning and crushing these beneath it — the police, criminals, and innocents alike.
As soon as Hailed as a Hero, Captain Nascimento Has Grow to be the Face of Police Brutality
Regardless of their acclaim, the Elite Squad motion pictures are additionally deeply controversial. Their tackle police brutality and endemic corruption felt a bit of biased at first, particularly BOPE’s portrayal as the one ones able to coping with criminality within the favelas. Just lately, although, there’s been a sort of “Elite Squad renaissance,” so to talk, with audiences lastly realizing that the film does not glorify BOPE’s actions, however criticizes them for being almost fanatical of their naturewhich is harmful in itself. With police brutality changing into so widespread in every single place, this message is getting clearer by the day.
For a very long time, Captain Nascimento was the face of this misunderstanding. Within the years following Elite Squad‘s launch, he turned like a Brazilian model of the previous Chuck Norris meme, particularly amongst youthful audiences — a person able to extraordinary feats who all the time shows overwhelming energy and completely obliterates his targets. This got here largely from Nascimento’s personal macho-like persona, however, once more, it is changing into clear that he’s truly a deeply flawed and tragic charactera person who’s at odds with himself due to what he is was and what he represents.
In that sense, Neto and Mathias’ journey is sort of like a police model of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) in The Godfatherwhich is not heroic in any respect. Doing what Nascimento and BOPE do requires unwavering perception and loyalty to the battalion itself, not essentially to their goal. After years of bewilderment, audiences usually lastly started assimilating this. Police brutality has been a problem in Brazil for a very long time and has aggravated in recent times, and Elite Squad now appears like a warning nobody understood when it got here out.
Captain Nascimento Is a Distinctive Character in Wagner Moura’s Profession
Picture by way of Common Photos
Wagner Moura’s star could also be on the rise internationally proper now (and rightfully so) along with his success in Narcos and The Secret Agenthowever, in Brazil, he has been one of many nice for many years. His efficiency in Elite Squad helped set up him as a correct film starpast the normal Brazilian cleaning soap operas. When the film got here out, he had simply wrapped up the telenovela Tropical Paradise because the playboy Olavo, and the distinction between these roles is putting. Elite Squad was additionally Moura’s first time as the only protagonist, with the film relying closely on his main efficiency.
Captain Nascimento can be simply Moura’s “loudest” function ever. There aren’t many motion sequences with stunts for him in Elite Squadhowever Moura’s portrayal of Nascimento has an unbelievable physicality to it; the character has a perpetually tight jaw, inflexible posture, and piercing eyes, not often displaying any vulnerability. Even at residence, it appears like he is able to blow up at any second, as that is the place he will get to confront the true nature of his job, regardless of his perception that he’s saving the nation. With out all this, it is arduous to think about Wagner Moura’s profession finally resulting in roles like Pablo Escobar in Narcosfor instance, and even the cautiously intense Armando in The Secret Agent.
Elite Squad is offered to observe on Tubi within the U.S.