"Lúcio Flávio" is a relic of its time, specific to its place and time, and due to that it is very difficult to evaluate it subjectively. The real story of the infamous criminal that defied order in Brazil in the late 60s and early 70s, it is understandably like nothing that was produced in Brazil up until that time, but pails horribly in comparison to what was achieved in movie making in later years - it even pails in comparison to Babenco's "Pixote", released a mere 3 years afterwards. Uneven and fragmented, no character is developed any further beyond what they are first shown. Lucio's decision to turn against police corruption comes a bit too drastically, his demise is rushed, and some of the characters behavior makes me scratch my head in confusion, particularly "132", who seems to be made an easy (and pathetic) target at one moment, and defies Lucio bravely in the next. The ending quote, stating the corrupt policemen were punished, is laughable and remote to the drastic era of the Hays code in America - but it's easy to deduce it was an imposition from that era's military government censorship. It's difficult to recommend this film apart from being a borderline morbid curiosity about that particular time in Brazil's history, seen from a very thin (and repetitive) point of view.
Review of Lucio Flavio
