Pixote is a 1981 movie directed by Hector Babenco.
WHAT HAPPENS?
A young Brazilian boy escapes from a juvenile detention center and becomes involved with robbery, drugs and prostitution. He is forced to survive on the streets while those around him fall prey to its dangers.
ONE LINE REVIEW
Pixote is a raw, heartbreaking look at lost youth.
THE ACTORS
The authenticity of Pixote is remarkable, as the actors are essentially Brazilian street kids. Fernando Ramos da Silva turns in an extraordinary performance as the lead character, an 11-year old trying to inhabit a dangerous adult world. Perhaps because of his inexperience as an actor, he plays Pixote with a blend of confidence and blissful unawareness.
However, you can feel the character through his expressive eyes. Silva is continually wide-eyed, soaking in his ever-changing environment. He adapts brilliantly in a tragic sense, becoming a hardened criminal. This transformation is interrupted only when we remember Pixote is still a kid.
The wrenching scene that best exemplifies this divide sees Marilia Pera’s prostitute Sueli cradling Pixote as he sucks against her breast. It’s a devastating look at two broken lives – Pixote is the motherless child gangster while Sueli can never escape the emotional damage of her past.
Pera is terrific as the damaged Sueli. Pixote and his friends rob the men she lures for sex. She is alluring to Gilbero Moura’s Dito and represents a pseudo-mother figure to Pixote. These warped dynamics present a threat to Jorge Juliao’s Lilica, who previously filled these roles. Pera’s Sueli tries to simulate a relationship with Dito, slow-dancing with him as the wreckage of her past pours out.
The most impressive performance is delivered by Juliao’s Lilica, the 17-year old transvestite who is both a mother figure and lover within Pixote’s group. Juliao is masterful in conveying his character’s hopelessness – he knows his sexuality makes him a target, while he also sees turning 18 as a virtual death sentence.
THE DIRECTOR
Babenco is unrelenting in presenting the realities of lost street youth. There are no narrative cliches and the director doesn’t force morality on the viewers. The deaths of Pixote’s friends are hardly lamented – they are instead examined through the stunted eyes of an 11-year old.
Pixote’s environment is gritty and chaotic. Babenco reflects this through his choice of lighting – much of which appears natural. The danger and confinement of the juvenile detention center is brutally illustrated, while the brightness of the outside world is striking once they escape.
THE BEST – Pixote’s Name
There’s not many positives to highlight here, but at least other criminals – both young and old – like Pixote’s name.
THE WORST – Everything
Where to begin?
The rape at the juvenile detention center is the most horrific scene in an agonizing movie. The killings of too many kids are tragic but more resounding are the reactions – the grief displayed is either short-lived or non-existent.
The most heartbreaking scenes involve family visits, which are traumatic. Any involved family are powerless, including Pixote’s. Others aren’t present. Those who are trying to help, like Pixote’s friend Fumaca’s mother, are essentially helpless.
Pixote’s first entry into real adult violence occurs after he and Chico confront stripper/drug connection Debora at a club. The situation escalates and Chico is killed. Pixote reacts by stabbing Debora. The senselessness of the violence is affirmed in the next scene as Pixote and his friends are innocently playing arcade games.
THE WORST Part 2 – Lilica at the Crossroads
In terms of pure acting, Jorge Julioa’s Lilica gives a phenomenal performance. His realization that his already chaotic life will further deteriorate when he turns eighteen is utterly depressing. “If I get caught it will be jail and beatings from here on out. What more can a fag like me expect?”
THE WORST Part 3 – Pixote the “Little Man”
Pixote’s proudest moment comes when a drunken Sueli proclaims him her “little man.” Da Silva beams – his face is pure joy. Their lives are so damaged that this relationship actually makes sense.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 4.5/5
Pixote is a devastatingly sad movie but it’s brilliant in its raw depiction of lost youth. It’s a must watch.
