The Cover

In 2000, a street kid named Sandro tried to rob a bus full of people going to work. The intelligence of such a decision is not in question - after all, why rob people taking public transportation in Brazil? They're not the ones that have either money or power. But perhaps the reason why Sandro took hostages was out of a complete desperation and anger. Through the course of the movie, we learn what street kids, and what Sandro in particular, have gone through in order to survive on the streets. Witness to state sponsored killing of children by the police, the street kids have seen more bloodshed in their short years than most people see in their lifetimes.

Because of near complete police incompetence, media from Brazil was allowed to surround Bus 174 and often got mere feet from the action inside, despite the shooting and ranting of Sandro. Being a police officer in Brazil is something of a last resort, a job nearly anyone can get (because it's so dangerous), which offers little in the way of training. Only the Brazilian SWAT team have any training of significance. And as soon as they got on the scene, they seemed to handle the situation quite well. But for some reason, they were held back from doing what they needed to do (namely, take Sandro out with a sniper) by their chief for reasons that aren't entirely clear, but are clearly connected with the president of Brazil.

Unlike Fahrenheit 9/11, Bus 174 doesn't attempt to create a reason or explanation for the failing of the government to intervene in the hostage situation, and this is the one failing of the movie. We never learn why the shot wasn't authorized to take down Sandro and prevent the terrible events that followed. Despite all that, Bus 174 is at every turn invigorating and suspenseful, keeping you on the edge of your seat, watching the terrible events unfold. The film even manages to be stylistic, with some of the footage deftly enhanced in slow motion to increase suspense.

There are no winners in Bus 174, no ultimate redemption, no answers. Only suggestions of what went wrong along the way.

Movie Grade: A+

Video: 3 out of 5
Most of the source material is from various news cameras, so it varies from pretty grungy, to pretty good. The interview segments are much clearer and all seem to have been derived from a high-res digital source.
Widescreen Anamorphic - 1.85:1

Sandro takes aim.

Audio: 3 out of 5
Typical two channel documentary audio.
Portuguese (Dolby 2.0)

Extras: 3 out of 5
The 1/2 hour making of is refreshingly clear of film clips. Despite being rather stagy (the director is reading off a script), it gives some great background information and is wonderfully composed. The other extra is 40 minutes of extended interviews with various people that are also featured in the movie. It's nice, (especially the extended interviews with the very sharp sociologist), but it's not really necessary if you've seen the movie.

Overall: 5 out of 5
Bus 174 is a gripping dramatic film that rivals the best of what American documentarians have to offer. With a stylish bent, nail biting suspense and an overriding sadness, Bus 174 is one of the most engaging and dramatic documentaries you'll ever see.

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