Bus 174 (Ônibus 174) (2003)
94%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: 21 wins & 9 nominations
Bus 174 is a masterful and relentless documentary that delves deep into the institutionalized poverty and social meltdown of Brazil. With multiple layers of meaning, the film builds an indictment of the media, police, and government officials who prioritize self-interest over saving lives. Director Jose Padilha allows neither easy answers nor ironic commentary, instead presenting a world of inconsolable grief on both sides of the conflict. The film is an astounding and depressing triumph that digs deep into the wound left by City of God, with real bullets and real consequences. It is much more troubling than any fiction and a stunning indictment of a society in crisis.
Bus 174 is a documentary that will leave you feeling like you’ve been punched in the gut. It’s a raw and unflinching look at the institutionalized poverty and violence that plagues Brazil, and the tragic consequences that result. The film is unapologetic in its indictment of the media, the police, and the government for their role in perpetuating this cycle of poverty and violence. It’s a difficult watch, but an important one, and it will stay with you long after the credits roll.
Production Company(ies)
Zazen Produções
Distributor
ThinkFilm
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language, violent images and some drug material
Year of Release
2003
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby SR
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 13m
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Language(s):Portuguese, Spanish
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 8, 2003 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 20, 2004
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
Bus 174, documentary, Rio de Janeiro, hijacking, police violence, societal tensions, poverty, urban poverty, Brazil, Brazilian society, media, police, governor, institutionalized poverty, real-life tragedy, gripping, thought-provoking, reviewed by Amy Taubin, Deborah Young, Patrick Z McGavin, Nick Schager, Will Lawrence, Jamie Russell, directed by José Padilha, produced by José Padilha and Marcos Prado, written by Bráulio Mantovani and José Padilha, starring Yvonne Bezerra De Mello, Sandro do Nascimento, Rodrigo Pimentel, Luiz Eduardo Soares, Maria Aparecida, Luanna Belmon, R rating, Portuguese language, box office gross $216.2K, ThinkFilm, Surround sound mix
Worldwide gross: $222,506
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $360,654
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,816
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 39,330
US/Canada gross: $217,201
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $352,055
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,421
US/Canada opening weekend: $8,625
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $13,980
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,622
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Sandro do Nascimento – Self
Rodrigo Pimentel – Self
Luiz Eduardo Soares – Self
Maria Aparecida – Self
Luanna Belmon – Self
Director(s)
José Padilha
Writer(s)
Bráulio Mantovani, José Padilha
Producer(s)
José Padilha, Marcos Prado
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
21 wins & 9 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (79) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (76) | Rotten (3)
Building an indictment of the media, the police, and the provincial governor for placing self-interest above saving lives, Bus 174 opens out from the people directly involved in the incident to an examination of institutionalized poverty.
April 10, 2018
Amy Taubin
Film Comment Magazine
TOP CRITIC
A tense documentary with multiple layers of meaning.
June 10, 2008
Deborah Young
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Padilha allows neither easy answers nor ironic commentary, producing on both sides of the conflict a world of inconsolable grief.
May 8, 2007
Patrick Z. McGavin
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Masterful.
May 3, 2005
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
If City Of God cracked the skin, Bus 174 digs deep into the wound. An astounding, depressing triumph.
May 14, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
Will Lawrence
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
A stunning indictment of Brazil’s social meltdown, this startling documentary plays like City Of God — except this time the bullets are real.
April 23, 2004 | Rating: 5/5
Jamie Russell
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
Bus 174 is too long because the filmmakers are too timid about making a frontal attack on Brazilian society. Detail becomes a substitute for an open indictment.
February 16, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
Relentlessly gripping.
December 27, 2007 | Rating: 4/4
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
March 5, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Ethan Alter
NYC Film Critic
August 7, 2004 | Rating: C+
Daniel Kasman
d+kaz. intelligent movie reviews
Much more troubling than any fiction…
July 24, 2004
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Padilha lays out the story with a crusader’s fury while remaining careful not to slight the testimony or the suffering of Sandro’s hostages.
May 19, 2004
Jim Ridley
City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul…
Plot
Bus 174 is a documentary that chronicles the hijacking of a bus in Rio de Janeiro and the incompetent response by police officers, shedding light on societal tensions and police violence in modern Brazil.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Bus 174 on Fresh Kernels.
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