Pixote: Law of the Weak

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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.