A cena de Tropa de Elite que parece ficção, mas veio da realidade - Rodrigo Pimentel

Realism in Elite Squad

Rodrigo Pimentel says the film’s realism came from bringing actors close to BOPE officers. Rather than simply teaching them police mannerisms, the production let them absorb the group’s humor, routines, and way of moving.

Wagner Moura spent two months with the unit for each film. Pimentel says the experience helped Moura earn lasting affection and respect from the officers.

Cast Stories

The funniest—and messiest—story involved Milhem Cortaz being served “engodo,” the course’s notorious one-pot meal. Cortaz refused, argued with the trainers, and briefly walked off the production. He eventually agreed to eat it, then promptly threw up. The unscripted moment made it into the film, where Pimentel says Cortaz steals the scene.

Pimentel also praises the intense work of acting coach Fátima Toledo.

Several cast members came from unexpected backgrounds. André Ramiro had never made a film before, while Sandro Rocha—who had worked with Pimentel as an armored-truck driver and once played Ronald McDonald—proved a natural fit for a tough-looking character. Pimentel also notes that Wagner Moura was not yet the major film star many people assume he was when Elite Squad was made.

A Brief Scene Based on a Grim Idea

Pimentel revisits a brief scene in which a policeman kneels before shooting. He says the detail was based on the grim idea that a staged killing might be made to look less like an execution in a forensic report, while stressing that it had never happened to him personally.

People Discussed

Rodrigo Pimentel, Wagner Moura, Milhem Cortaz, Caio Junqueira, André Ramiro, Sandro Rocha, Babu Santana, José Padilha, Fátima Toledo, and BOPE captain Paulo Estorandani.