Tropa de Elite (2007) by José Padilha and La Zona (2007) by Rodrigo Plá express the politics of fear and the division of urban space in Brazil and Mexico today. As the politics of fear are expressed in a much more complex way referring to the high presence of talk of crime in Latin American culture, to official governmental responses to crime and by analysing the consequences of fear on society and its people, the division of urban space is depicted through specific filming techniques such as genre, shot design and a strong emphasis on violence.
First of all, the politics of fear are expressed through the very production of both Tropa de Elite (2007) and La Zona (2007). Most importantly, they reflect on the high presence of the ‘talk of crime’ …show more content…
However, it is crucial to note that Padilha was inspired by some of the real life experiences of former BOPE officers such as Roberto Pimentel who claimed that: “[e]very BOPE policeman leaves the barracks with a small plastic bag […] that is used for suffocating suspects during interrogation” (Larkins, 2013, p.566). This further highlights the fact that Tropa de Elite (2007) uses some of the current political and social issues in Brazil such as abuse of power and unjustified violence (Barnes, 2014, no pagination) in order to demonstrate to the audience that there is a desperate need for …show more content…
The community itself is responsible for the design of crime prevention initiatives, whereas the police are responsible for the carrying out of risk assessments (Dammert and Malone, 2006, p.38). The neighbourhood council’s decision to kill Miguel can be interpreted as a crime prevention initiative and police chief De la Garza’s approval of the plan, as well as his order to abandon Miguel shows that he carried out a risk assessment, concluded that Miguel was a threat to the community and approved the project. In addition, it is possible to consider La Zona (2007) as a criticism of this strategy because of its emphasis on the destructive dynamics between state and society. In order to understand the complex relationship between these two entities, it is essential to consider ‘La Zona’ as in a constant state of exception and Miguel as a homo sacer. A state of exception “implies the suspension of the law in order to safeguard precisely the application of said law” (Lehnen, 2012, p.172). ‘La Zona’ is separated from the rest of the city through security systems, which highlights the fact that living inside this community is a constant state of exception (Lehnen, 2012, p.172). Moreover, it introduces the notion that the city is considered to be a place of peril (Lehnen, 2012, p.172) and since the three boys who enter the gated community
First of all, the politics of fear are expressed through the very production of both Tropa de Elite (2007) and La Zona (2007). Most importantly, they reflect on the high presence of the ‘talk of crime’ …show more content…
However, it is crucial to note that Padilha was inspired by some of the real life experiences of former BOPE officers such as Roberto Pimentel who claimed that: “[e]very BOPE policeman leaves the barracks with a small plastic bag […] that is used for suffocating suspects during interrogation” (Larkins, 2013, p.566). This further highlights the fact that Tropa de Elite (2007) uses some of the current political and social issues in Brazil such as abuse of power and unjustified violence (Barnes, 2014, no pagination) in order to demonstrate to the audience that there is a desperate need for …show more content…
The community itself is responsible for the design of crime prevention initiatives, whereas the police are responsible for the carrying out of risk assessments (Dammert and Malone, 2006, p.38). The neighbourhood council’s decision to kill Miguel can be interpreted as a crime prevention initiative and police chief De la Garza’s approval of the plan, as well as his order to abandon Miguel shows that he carried out a risk assessment, concluded that Miguel was a threat to the community and approved the project. In addition, it is possible to consider La Zona (2007) as a criticism of this strategy because of its emphasis on the destructive dynamics between state and society. In order to understand the complex relationship between these two entities, it is essential to consider ‘La Zona’ as in a constant state of exception and Miguel as a homo sacer. A state of exception “implies the suspension of the law in order to safeguard precisely the application of said law” (Lehnen, 2012, p.172). ‘La Zona’ is separated from the rest of the city through security systems, which highlights the fact that living inside this community is a constant state of exception (Lehnen, 2012, p.172). Moreover, it introduces the notion that the city is considered to be a place of peril (Lehnen, 2012, p.172) and since the three boys who enter the gated community