A solid evidence of the maturity that has been reached by national cinema are its sequels. When a movie receives a sequel, it means it was successful enough to be considered safe to invest in a sequel. And this was the case for German, a 2014 film directed by José Eduardo Belmonte that portrayed violence in the pacified favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
Despite being planned at the end of the filming of the first feature, seven years passed until the conclusion of the sequel, which has the return of Belmonte to the direction, production of Rodrigo Teixeira, gives RT Features in collaboration with the Buena Vista International it's the Brazil Channel, in addition to a roadmap Thiago Brito and Marton Olympio.
german 2 takes place nine years after the events of the first film. In it we meet the civil policeman Machado (Vladimir Brichta), who leads a complex secret action in the Alemão complex in Rio de Janeiro. His team, which also includes Ciro (Gabriel Leone) and Freitas (Leandra Leal), in addition to being commanded by delegate Amanda, must enter the complex in plain clothes in search of a local drug lord, following clues provided by an informant. However, the mission fails and the team is trapped inside the council in the midst of a gang war, at the same time they are hunted by drug dealers.
Although the film has a clear (sometimes even explicit) political component, something that director Eduardo Belmonte made a point of pointing out, in a press conference, to be intentional, german 2 is primarily an action and crime drama film, being aimed at the general audience.
Producer Rodrigo Teixeira, also present at the press conference, cites how important it is that this film is made targeting this audience at this time of recovery after the worst moments of the pandemic that arrived after 2019 was one of the best in the history of national cinema. The film will be available in 300 screens at its official premiere on March 31, but has already had 67 screens in 22 cities since its premiere on March 24.
Director José Eduardo Belmonte shows evolution in his work, at the same time he brings a more mature view of the themes he brings to the film, although they don't get to be really in-depth in the film, perhaps in his attempt to prioritize action.
This one has good moments, mainly in creating tension when it focuses on Machado's team trying to survive the siege of drug dealers, as well as the situation of the residents of Complexo do Alemão, but it also finds some inconsistency at other moments, particularly in the shootings. She is definitely very realistic, something that may not please the viewer of a "Elite squad”, for example, which is likely to be the main target audience sought after.
The film is more accurate in the characterization of the characters. His portrayal, both of drug dealers and police, in addition to the inhabitants of needy communities, is quite realistic, without falling into Manicheism, with humanized characters on all sides, subject to errors and reprehensible attitudes, but without ever ceasing to be believable.
This becomes quite evident when worked on in the character Soldado, played by Digão Ribeiro, a drug lord captured by Machado's team, who is indisputably a criminal, but who also has great love for his family; even more we discover that one of his childhood dreams was to be a soldier. There is no black and white in the feature, and the film works well with all these shades of gray.
Police violence is another of the film's vital themes. We see both aspects of the corrupt police, who work with drug dealers for their own profit, and the unprepared police, who are capable of shooting without thinking, victimizing innocent people around them, both with a rawness and reality that can be shocking, but that are real. like the actor Digão Ribeiro, interpreter of Soldado, mentioned during the press conference to launch the film: “the long talk that there are people who continue to die in the communities, treating the message as something more will be lost”. Director Belmonte mentions that this was a concern of the team, to show what is around, in contrast to the first film.
During the press conference, the team made a point of talking about the importance of the political character of the film, and the need to position the artistic class, at a time when the culture in the country suffers from attacks and dismantling. However, this was not the only aspect addressed. The need to reinvent ways to reach the public, the change in funding sources and the revolution brought about by streaming were also addressed by the entire team.
The cast is competent, but with the exception of the main characters, he is not explored as he could. Vladimir Brichta, Leandra Leal, Aline Borges, Digão Ferreira, Zezé Motta and Mariana Nunes (the only one who returns from the first film, reprising the role of Mariana) are doing very well, however. The team responsible for choosing the cast worked subtly (but efficiently) on the issue of diversity. We find men and women, white and black, in different positions throughout the film, although most of the population of the complex is (rightly) represented as black, while the police are mostly white.
german 2 it has its inconsistencies, it is undeniable, but it fulfills a large part of the role it sets out to fulfill. His political approach and social criticism are visceral and direct, leaving no room for dubious interpretations. His portrayal of the day-to-day situation experienced by the inhabitants of so many communities across the country is also honest and accurate, although the power dynamics (both of organized crime and the police) could be better explored.
His humanization of the characters is efficient, showing how often there are no good guys in this story. As an action movie, it lacks a little in the main aspect (the action itself), but it manages to create good scenes (realistic and raw), in addition to passing tension in the right measure. In the end, it has more hits than mistakes and deserves to be checked out.
By: Wallace William
EN 
PT_BR 
