THE MAN OF THE YEAR

Brazil, 2002, 115 minutes, Colour.
Murilo Benicio, Claudia Abreu, Natalia Lage, Jorge Doria.
Directed by Jose Henrique Fonseca.

During 2002, City of God was a success all around the world. A Brazilian feature, it highlighted life in the barrios of Rio de Janeiro. It took the audiences back to the 60s and 70s, focusing on the young boys who followed their older brothers and fathers into a life of gangs and crime. It was a frightening film, showing young children with an urge to violence, exercising manipulation and shrewdness. With Man of the Year, we are again in Rio de Janeiro. This time we are in the mainstream, not an affluent area, but people who live ordinary lives, own ordinary stores and do ordinary jobs - but connected with some of the wealthy, who want to control the populace with right-wing authoritarian ideas, as well as to corrupt police.

The film tells the story, or the character tells the story himself, of how, after losing a bet, he has his hair dyed blond. This leads to a confrontation in a bar and his vendetta the next day, shooting dead the man who insulted him. Instead of the police coming to arrest him, or giving himself up as he thought he should, he becomes the area hero for having rid the area of an obnoxious criminal. Eventually, he is asked to do another killing, this multiplies and he becomes a professional killer, aided by his friends who operate a garage remaking cars illegally. He also falls in love with the woman who changed his hair colour, she becomes pregnant, but, according to the pet store owner for whom he works, once married, the excitement falls out of the marriage. He also takes in, at first unwillingly, the young girl who was living with the man that he murdered.

As the film progresses, it becomes more disturbing. The young man gradually assumes the persona of the killer, wanting contracts, getting finance, becoming more and more amoral, if not immoral. However, the ending is not easy and there is an escalation of violence. The film ends with all kinds of possibilities.

Very well acted, realistically shot in Rio, the film is a mixture of serious comment on society in Rio as well as having a great deal of black comedy. In this it is quite unique entertainment.

1. The film as an example of the Brazilian industry in the early 2000s? Local themes, atmosphere, style?

2. The use of the Rio locations, the street and the apartments, the ordinariness, McDonald's, the pet shop? The contrast with the homes of the wealthy? The restaurants? The contrast with the resort which Maiquel escapes to? The visual style, the editing and pace, the modern tone of the film? The songs, the musical score and atmosphere?

3. The title, the focus on Maiquel, his exploits, the final award from the social clubs and the irony?

4. The use of the voice-over, Maiquel telling the events, giving a moral slant to them, emotional regrets as well as exhilaration, moral and amoral judgments?

5. Maiquel and his background, an ordinary young man, out of work? The bet, his losing, football? His getting his hair dyed - and his comment about looking better and his low self-esteem? His going to the bar with Cledir? Sewell and his insulting him? The control of Gonzaga at the bar? The challenge for the next day? His arriving, with the gun, sitting and waiting, the final confrontation, his unexpectedly shooting Sewell dead? Erica and her being present?

6. His moral dilemmas, to escape, to give himself up? The advice of his friends at the garage? The irony of people coming to congratulate him, the range of the gifts, the pig and his growing attachment to Bill (after watching Clinton play basketball on television)? His coming to terms with his celebrity? The range of people who praised him? Cledir and her reaction? His agony with his tooth?

7. The irony of going to the dentist, the dentist and his comments on society, capital punishment, the scum in the streets? His story about his daughter being raped? The irony with the daughter herself coming on as a sex kitten in her father's house, scantily clad, coming on to Maiquel? The dentist and his wanting Maiquel to avenge his daughter? Going to buy the gun and the supermarket attitude of the salesman? His getting the gun, following the victim in the bus, knowing that he worked at the pet shop, looked after his mother, the man pulling his gun on Maiquel and Maiquel shooting back and killing him? Further enhancing his reputation?

8. Cledir and her pregnancy, her exhilaration, the planning of the wedding? Taking him to meet her mother - the food, the mother's collapse? The pressure on him to marry, his friends telling him to wait, his trying to tell Cledir to wait? The transition quickly to the wedding, the celebration? The possibility of a happy, marriage, his wanting to settle down, get an ordinary job, go to church on Sundays? It was not to be? Erica and her arriving at the door, moving in, claiming that he should take responsibility for her? Her staying at the house, the clash with Cledir?

9. Erica and her going to the church, the words of the gospels, her feelings of guilt, her friendship with the minister? Going to church, his preaching? Her clashes with Maiquel? Yet the sexual encounters, her demands? The ups and downs of their relationship? Her wanting to get rid of Cledir? Cledir wanting to get rid of Erica? Maiquel and the ambiguity, his sexual relationship with each woman? His throttling Cledir, her banging her head? The plan to bury her, in the car, the grave? Going back and getting her, Erica washing her, having her on the bed? Getting rid of the body? The police coming, his acting innocent, the grief with the necklace? Erica keeping quiet?

10. The dentist and his friends, the wealthy home, the surveillance equipment? Their chatter, telling stories? Maiquel and his being welcomed? Their fascist attitudes? The commissions, the collage of the killings? His enjoying it, the bravado? The members of the garage gang and their participating?

11. The garage gang, the mixed races, their work, offering a job to Maiquel, his cousin Robinson? Their drinking together, playing cards? Neno and the dentist wanting him shot? Maiquel's birthday, Robinson and the others coming, Robinson being shot by Neno? The brutality of the revenge?

12. The birthday party, Maiquel and his relationship with Bill, companion, washing him, in the room, in the bath? Cledir agreeing to take him, his bringing Bill to the apartment? Bill appearing as the dinner? Maiquel and his eruption - and his wanting to kill Cledir?

13. The corrupt police chief, his security company, getting Maiquel to front it, wearing a suit, going and putting pressure for protection on the shopkeepers and business owners? Their agreeing - and feeling safe, able to leave their shops open? The policeman not wanting his name to be known? Arresting Maiquel's companion, having him in jail, killing him?

14. The build-up to the climax, what Maiquel was to do, going away to the resort? His return, murdering the corrupt policeman, confronting the dentist and killing him?

15. Erica and the minister, Maiquel taking the minister in the car, the minister preaching to him, Maiquel bashing his head, leaving him on the road?

16. The ultimate solution, dyeing his hair black, not running away? His future?

17. The moral tone of the film, the violence on the streets, the religious and non-religious backgrounds? The role of the churches? The preaching of justice? Corrupt society, moneymaking police? The wealthy and their authoritarian attitudes and assuming that they could control and kill those who did not agree with them? A perspective on Brazil?