The life of a boy in the streets of Sao Paulo, involved with little crimes, prostitution, and other things under the wing of corrupt police and other criminals.
The film features Fernando Ramos da Silva (who was killed at the age of 19 by Brazilian police in São Paulo) as Pixote. The movie is shot in the manner of a documentary and shows the strong influence by Italian neorealism in that amateur actors were used whose real lives strongly resembled those of the protagonists in the film.
This is by far the most "raw" a film about juvenile crime has ever been. Because of the use of minors and the nudity / violence, this sort of film could probably not be made in the United States or much of Europe. But it never feels exploitative. Rather, it feels honest and true. And that is why it becomes a must-see.
The film features Fernando Ramos da Silva (who was killed at the age of 19 by Brazilian police in São Paulo) as Pixote. The movie is shot in the manner of a documentary and shows the strong influence by Italian neorealism in that amateur actors were used whose real lives strongly resembled those of the protagonists in the film.
This is by far the most "raw" a film about juvenile crime has ever been. Because of the use of minors and the nudity / violence, this sort of film could probably not be made in the United States or much of Europe. But it never feels exploitative. Rather, it feels honest and true. And that is why it becomes a must-see.