TRASH
UK/Brazil, 2014, 114 minutes, Colour.
Wagner Moura, Rickson Tevez, Eduardo Luis, Gabriel Weinstein, Selton Mello, Martin Sheen, Rooney Mara.
Directed by Stephen Daldrey.
Trash has several meanings in this film. First of all, there is the literal huge mountain of garbage, filmed in its trash ugliness, and filled with so many people, adults and children, rummaging through the rubbish to see what they can find. It is into this rubbish that a significant wallet is tossed leading to a surprising change in the lives of three of the boy’s who live in the favela.
Another significant meaning for trash is that society considers the people who live in the favela as human trash. This is a film that says they are not
While the story is Brazilian, the film is a co-production between the UK and Brazil. The screenplay, written by Richard Curtis, a surprising choice because he is well known for Blackadder, Mr Bean, Four Weddings, Love Actually, who brings an outsider’s view to the situations as well as drawing an audience right into the situations. And the director is British Stephen Daldrey, whose reputation was enhanced by Billy Elliot, The Hours and The Reader.
At the centre of the film are three young boys, who had not acted before but their performances are so authentic that they are completely persuasive. One is Raphael, the boy who finds the wallet mysteriously thrown into the trash, who proves himself a boy of integrity, trying to do what is right, strongly believe in God, who puts himself into all kinds of dangerous circumstances, taken by the police, tortured by being bounced around the car boot and threatened with death, but following through on his mission to discover the truth about the contents of the wallet that he has found. His best friend is Gardo, a tough egg of a boy, outgoing, daring, always with a trick up his sleeve in awkward situations. The third boy has Rat as his nickname, a shrewd little boy who can do a deal with anyone.
This review has emphasised the role of the boys, but it is in a political context of Brazilian corruption: a wealthy man who is candidate for mayor but who has taken bribes from many companies, hiding the cash at his home, along with his accounts book. We are also introduced to José Angelo, a mysterious man who is arrested, tortured and killed – not before he has thrown his wallet into the garbage truck. More emerges about him as the film goes on, his association with the candidate, his taking the bribe money, hiding it while trying to get a letter to a lawyer in prison for justice stances who has Bible which can interpret the code to indicate where the money has been hidden.
The film is set in this part of Rio, the depressing shacks, despite videogames and access to the Internet, the poverty of boys, their seeming to have no family, the filthy water in which they swim, and the dirt of the trash.mountain.
One aspect to emphasise is that the film has a strong Catholic background, part of the inherited culture, with a sense of faith and devotion and ability of the boys to pray. Rooney Mara portrays a volunteer who teaches the boys in the local presbytery. And there is Martin Sheen once again playing a priest, older and a touch more grizzled liking a drink, the local hierarchy threatening to transfer him, but his wanting to stay with the people, angry at corruption, fighting for justice, especially when there are refugees flocking to him from the shacks which had been set alight by the police.
Trash has a great deal of realism about it, the actual poverty, the role of the police, police corruption, crowded prisons, political deals, the film also serves has something of a favourable happy ending. It is a moral fable showing that there is a blessing for those who do the right thing.
1. The story from Brazil, UK, the parallel is, the world of the wealthy, the world of the pool, world and the political question
2. British production, collaboration with Brazil? Adaptation of a novel, Richard Curtis’s as screenwriter, the British director?
3. Familiar images from Rio beaches, the mountains? The contrast with the favelas, in detail, the rubbish mountain, shacks, the putrid water, the presbytery, the town, the streets and buildings?
4. Trash mountain, the people considered as trash? The wallet thrown into the trash? the search?
5. Jose, his story, the revelations throughout the film, his being the first assistant to the mayoral candidate? His secrecy, in the cemetery, his daughter’s grave, in the apartment, the attack, torture? Flashbacks? The messages with his voice? His daughter, the Gardiner telling the boys the story of Jose taking $10 million, taking the money from the safe, the accounts book, garbage bags, the fridge to his apartment? The money in the coffin? The contents of the wallet, photo, the code, the key?
6. Raphael at the opening, his being urged to shoot, introducing boys, the making of the video by Olivia and the excerpts throughout the film?
7. The wallet, Raphael finding it? Showing it to Gardo, taking the cash, see the documents and the key, his decision to keep them? Raphael’s interest doing the right thing?
8. Raphael and Gardo, Rato, in the tunnel, his connections? Doing deals with people, payments?
9. Santos, wanting to be mayor, meeting with officials, the donations, the cash, his accounts book? The police and the investigator, police corruption? The
police and the trash, the local connection and his new league with the police, offering the reward? Interrogations, Raphael and Gardo? Under suspicion?
10. The contents of the wallet, the key, travelling into the city, the train, the pursuit, the railway station, Gardo pretending to assault someone divert police attention?
11. Raphael, his being taken, torture in the boot of the car, not giving information, the investigator urging to kill him? The refusal? Raphael getting back home? Fr Juilliard and his being woken up in the night, the confrontation with the police?
12. Getting the letter from the station? The information about the prison? Persuading Olivia to go? Gardo to pretend the lawyer was his grandfather, lining up, the bribe, the lawyer and his disbelief, Gardo and his memorising of the letter and reciting it? Information about the Bible and the code? The Bible? Marco and the bribe? Gardo getting the Bible, stabbing Marco’s head, flight? The previous discussions and making the plan, everything going wrong, not running, not throwing the Bible? The pursuit of the police, the room on the upper storey with the code, the chapter and verses of the Bible the numbers, Raphael realising that the numbers were a phone number, escape on the motorbikes, the phone call, the cemetery?
13. Going to the cemetery, Raphael finding the grave, The investigator finding them, his going, opening the grave, discovery the bags and the book, the phone call from Santos? The investigator intended to steal the? The little girl, suddenly appearing, Jose’s daughter, waiting for her father? Her hitting the investigator on the head? Raphael with the gun, his not shooting the investigator?
14. The character of Fr Juilliard, Martin Sheen, American background, anti-corruption, pro-justice, the Bishop visiting and wanting to transfer him? His friendship with people, with Olivia, the burning of the shacks, the refugees coming to the presbytery, his helping them? The boys taking the money, happily returning it ? A sympathetic picture of missionary work? Olivia, volunteer, in the compound, teaching the boys English, the pictures? Her agreeing to go to prison, hearing the details, her being arrested, later released?
15. The boys and the money, keeping some, going to the top of the mountain, throwing all the money for the people?
16. The ride, the memory of the beaches, fishing, happiness? (Too easy an ending?)
17. The film as a portrait of life in the favela? A moral fable?
