Problem picture concerning juvenile crime in Brazil, and centering on a ten-year-old contributor to the problem. The first half (after a prologue in which the director, Hector Babenco, stands in front of the camera, above a Sao Paulo slum, to spell out some facts and figures) takes place in a reformatory, the second half on the streets. Much sense of authenticity finds its way into both places, and a sense of dismay trails not far behind. There are also large amounts of triteness, coarseness, and sensationalism mixed in. All types of material are handled with unfaltering dexterity, and the performances by nonprofessional child actors are pretty remarkable. With Marilia Pera and Fernando Ramos da Silva. (1981) — Duncan Shepherd
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