Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»2854. The Edge Of Democracy (2019)

    2854. The Edge Of Democracy (2019)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on February 12, 2020 120-129 mins, 2019, 6 - 7.9, Brazil, Documentary, Feb 20, Movies Of 2020, Review
    7.8 Strikingly sombre
    • Directing 8.0
    • Content 7.7
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Dilma Rousseff, Lula, Michel Temer

    Director: Petra Costa

    Running Time: 121 mins


    The Edge Of Democracy (Democracia em Vertigem) is a Brazilian documentary about the political chaos that erupted in the late 2010s as public opinion swung violently against successive governments.

    Taking on enormous political topics from a complex and effectively ongoing crisis, The Edge Of Democracy is an immensely ambitious documentary that delivers riveting and powerful analysis spectacularly.

    It’s not a neutral, fully balanced assessment of Brazilian politics, but nor does it aim to be, instead offering up a scathing indictment on the country’s justice system, as well as wider issues surrounding the power of political elites, the oligarchy and the old establishment.

    Now, given that this film details the development of events as recent as the last five years (all with ongoing parallels in many other countries), you’re almost certain to have your own opinions, views and feelings on the topics it tackles. However, the great thing about The Edge Of Democracy is that, while it touches on controversial topics, it approaches them with a level-headed and well-evidenced ideology.

    As a result, you can put your own political convictions to the side and engage entirely with what this film has to say. The documentary is not a political rant, but a perspective on current events, and that’s something so hard to achieve in the increasingly polarised world we live in.

    Packing a huge amount of information into just two hours, The Edge Of Democracy brilliantly details the chaotic series of events in Brazilian politics through the second half of the 2010s, with effective context and background from beforehand coming in early on as a helping hand.

    Again, the events mirror political upheavals and controversies from all around the world in the same time period, but this documentary offers an insightful, penetrating and deeply engrossing assessment of the major flaws of Brazil’s own systems of justice and governance.

    Looking principally at the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff and the trial of Lula, both once-beloved Presidents of Brazil, the film offers up a riveting account of how the justice system is stacked in the favour of those at its head, rather than serving as the neutral and objective body it should be.

    That links into the film’s assessment of the country’s traditional elite and oligarchy possessing almost eternal power through its role in the justice system, which ultimately develops as the main point of focus for the documentary as a whole.

    The Edge Of Democracy is not meant to be an informative detailing of the last few years in Brazilian politics, but a focused assessment on systemic corruption. There are times when the time period it covers is so chaotic and broad that it becomes difficult to maintain that focus, but the documentary still does a fantastic job to retain a consistent thematic focus all the way through.

    In that, the film is a challenging watch, but it packs a lot of information and a huge amount of analysis into an impressively compact space. At the same time, it exemplifies and embodies the chaos experienced in Brazil over the last few years – a clever cinematic choice that comes off to great effect.

    What’s more, it’s the film’s sobering and sombre tone that really works as the icing on the cake. Whatever your personal opinions on the subject matter are, director Petra Costa’s passion, insight and emotion are admirable to say the least.

    She narrates the film with an overwhelming tone of sombre regret, tinged with deeply personal emotion and a sense of hurt as the chaos unfolds before her very eyes. That passion alone is more than enough to make her perspective on the subject matter as clear as day, while her bravery and commitment to the documentary – throwing herself right into the mix of the political chaos to gather interviews, footage and evidence – is spectacular to see.

    As a result, The Edge Of Democracy isn’t just a look back at five years of political wrangling in Brazil. Instead, it uses that as a backdrop for its own perspective on systemic issues of corruption and classist domination of Brazilian politics and society, delivered with immense passion and in a captivating and striking style.

    The film may touch on controversial and incredibly recent issues, but it does so with a level-headed approach backed up by entirely credible evidence and ideas. So, that’s why I’m giving it a 7.8 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    8.1
    Review
    April 3, 20150

    913. Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (1967)

    8.4
    Review
    February 15, 20180

    2055. Mother! (2017)

    8.0
    Review
    September 15, 20150

    1090. Straight Outta Compton (2015)

    8.5
    Review
    May 2, 20150

    946. Innocent Voices (2004)

    8.7
    Review
    November 15, 20160

    1549. Linda Linda Linda (リンダリンダリンダ) (2005)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.