Four Days in September (1998)

Informationally great , but claustrophobic and dull.

FOUR DAYS IN SEPTEMBER is a very subtle and understated film concerning, most specifically, the four days in 1969 in which U.S Ambassador to Brazil Charles Burke Elbrick was held hostage by the Student Revolutionaries, the MR-8. This is not an "edge-of-your-seats Political thriller that is powerful and exciting" (all of terms that critics use). Instead, this film is told in a quasi-documentarian style that examines the emotions of all that were involved in this kidnapping. The information is excellent and is positively necessary in understanding Brazilian history, but I found the film as a whole very claustrophobic and ultimately dull. June 9, 2007

US installed dictatorship vears out of control...

In March of 1964, democratically elected Joao Goulart was kicked from office by a right wing military movement, mentored and financed in the US. President Johnson had some US Navy ships at the ready to support the Brazilian generals if necessary, all this in the context of fear of comunism taking root in South America's largest country - the old story of the dominoes theory run wild. The Brazilian junta proved so brutal that students and intelectuals started resisting and doing the unheard of, at the time: Kidnapping ambassadors and consuls of powerful nations (US, Japan, Switzerland, Germany) and exchanging them for political prisoners that were being tortured and killed by the military. Brazil would not dare show its torture chambers or even admit to the practice much less accept international inspections to its jails - as a result the junta would simply give in and release lots of priosioners that would otherwise likely perish. Some of the release are now in government: President Luiz Inacio Lula, former Chief of Staff Jose Dirceu, former President Fernando Henrique Cardoso and many others. After 21 disgraceful years in power, the last general, Joao Batista Figueredo allowed indirect elections - 1985 was the year.The film does an excellent job showing the incredible conditions of those days. Alan Arkin is great! September 27, 2005

Echoes of today

Seeing this film at this moment in history is instructive. Issues of repression, coups d'etat, torture of prisoners, radical extremists - it all rings very "current." The story of Brazil's military coup was sadly ignored in this country, and in these times, we should all be watching carefully.

It is a fine and complex film, highly recommended. July 3, 2004

A great movie in spite of some minor inaccuracies

This movie faced a lot of criticism in Brazil for the liberties it took with history. Some criticism dates back to the publication of Fernando Gabeira's book, mainly the fact that Gabeira's importance in the kidnapping is overplayed. Other survivors from the operation claim he did not write the note to the press, as the movie shows. Also, a girl did try to get information from the Ambassador's security man, but she did not spend the night with him (and those who like to spot errors may notice the fact that he calls her by her code name, René, even though she introduced herself by a different name). And one just has to read other books about those days in Brazil to realize most torturers were sick animals, not guilt-ridden human beings like the guy in the movie.

In spite of all these flaws, the movie still works admirably as a snapshot of an era. I understand it was rather easy to sell this movie to the international market because Alan Arkin is in it and the event it is based on involved the kidnapping of an American ambassador. But it would be great if people all over the world could also see another movie titled "Pra Frente Brasil". The story is fictitious but inspired by actual facts: while the 1970 World Cup is taking place and the whole Brazilian population is glued to television sets, a guy is captured by mistake and tortured to death by the police. Brazil won that World Cup, so the whole country was in a celebratory mood while the horrors of repression were happening in the underground. May 31, 2004

Sticks with you

I saw "Four Days in September" when in came out in U.S. theaters in 1999. It has stuck with me since then, mostly because of Alan Arkin's fabulous performance as Ambassador Charles Embrick. But, also, because of the way the film brings to light for its audience what life was like in Brazil during the miltary dictatorship of 1969 - 1979. And, because of its very understated manner of showing you how this small, underground group of anti-regimists coalesced, got its training, and put its thoughts into actions. It all feels very real. No Hollywood-ization here.

If you want an entertaining *and* eductional evening, rent or buy "Four Days in September." You won't be disappointed. May 23, 2004

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