Movies Reviews

Lula, the Son of Brazil (Lula, o Filho do Brasil) – Movie Review

By Ron Wilkinson Jan 21, 2012, 13:27 GMT

The true story of a working class boy who moves to the nation\'s financial capital at a young age and becomes one the most influential politician in Brazil\'s history. ...more

The prestige of one of the world’s most influential men will not be felt as much as the pure Huck Finn adventure of this urban survival story.

Only a few years ago it was unheard of for a feature fiction film to be made about the life of a living legend. Filmmakers were expected to let them die first and then splatter their lives over the silver screen. Perhaps it is the advent of computer technology, the Internet and all, however, now these uber-biopics are made while the benefactor/victim is still living.

Unlike the treatment Margaret Thatcher received at the hands of the “The Iron Lady” filmmakers, legendary Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva (Rui Ricardo Diaz) comes off smelling like a rose.

The film is based on the book of the same name by Denise Paraná. He is joined in the screenwriting chores by Fernando Bonassi (who previously racked up two wins of the Brazil Grand Prize for screenwriting) and Daniel Tendler.

The criticism of this film is that it cannot decide whether it is a story of inspiration or a biopic of a famous person. On the one hand it is the harrowing tale of a child growing up in abject poverty to become the president we were all told we could be. On the other hand, it is the story of one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential People in the World” in 2010.

Since the story ends in 1980, before the forming of the Workers' Party (PT – Partido dos Trabalhadores), and much before Lula’s actual election as president in 2002, there is nothing in the film about what he actually did as president. In fact, there is little about what he did as leader of the PT party.

The film is about the making of a leader, not his actual effect. This not to say he did not affect many people on the way up. They followed him in droves. However, throughout this film he is strictly acting locally.

For the average filmgoer, this is all for the better. Lula’s life leading up to his assuming command of the labor party is, by far, more interesting than what he did afterward. In his life leading up to leadership, he survived growing up in poverty that has to be seen to be imagined.

This family with a single mom and eight kids has, literally, nothing. Zero divided by eight is what Lula grew up with after his abusive alcoholic father abandoned the family. After the father returned, Lula, his siblings and his mother had less than zero divided by eight. They had nothing, plus beatings, humiliation and a never-ending string of self-destructive, profane dialog.

At one point Lula sees a deliveryman wearing a blue cotton uniform such as we see auto mechanics wearing in the USA. Lula’s eyes light up and he says, “I am going to have a uniform like that someday.” At this point we know we are witnessing a man who is prepared to work a lot, for a little. That is exactly the case, except, as it turns out, if you work a lot, you can also get a lot in the end.

Director Barreto had a hard time finding the right actor to play Lula. It was a dangerous role for an actor to take on. Good, or bad, the actor could be typecast for life. If the act was a stinker, loyal fans of Lula could be inspired to significant revenge.

Glória Pires has the second most powerful role in this film as Dona Lindu, Lula’s mother. From what we see in the film, she was Lula’s guiding light, his teacher and his sole inspiration. The filmmakers chose to end the film with her death in 1980. Pires pours her sole into this performance and the result is the truest picture of a loving mother figure ever seen on screen. Almost too good to be true.

During the formative years of the Brazilian labor party it went through everything labor parties everywhere else in the world went through. People were beaten, arrested, tortured, humiliated and killed. This is not a new story, it has been told many times before. Nonetheless, director Fábio Barreto and assistant director Marcelo Santiago tell this story in as riveting a fashion as it has ever been told.

The audience is right in the middle of the screaming mobs facing the faceless, masked and armored government controlled military that, though outnumbered, can kill them at will. This happened in America, too. However, it did not happen recently and, after all, the devil we know is better than the devil we do not know.

For most persons outside of Brazil, this will be a historically significant film with enough excitement to fill almost every minute of the 130-minute run time. There are few dull moments. It is one of those rare films that probably will play much better outside of its country of origin than inside it.

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Directed by: Fábio Barreto
Written by: Fernando Bonassi, Denise Paraná and Daniel Tendler
Starring: Rui Ricardo Diaz, Glória Pires and Juliana Baroni
Release Date: January 13, 2012
MPAA: Not Rated
Running Time: 130 Minutes
Country: Brazil / Argentina
Language: Portuguese
Color: Color