Greetings again from the darkness. I judge the effectiveness of documentaries by what new material, new outlook or new information they bring to the table. The best offerings of "Bus 174" are the interviews with the captives from the horrible event. The footage of the actual event have been seen before ... yes, chilling and gut-wrenching, but it is the insight of those who were there and survived that provide the freshness necessary to make this a film to be seen. The obvious lesson here is that social outcasts living in the city streets (regardless of the city, state or country) will at some point rebel against the hardship and mistreatment bestowed. Desperation, pride, hunger and anger are all emotions that trigger acts of violence and we witness each. The weakest point of the film is the attempt to enlighten us on what "any jail in Rio" might be like. None of this had the impact the filmmakers desired. None of that mattered as we hear the hostages offer up forgiveness to their captor, but not the police incompetence, nor the society that caused this violent tragedy.
Review of Bus 174
