On release in its native Brazil, ‘Elite Squad’ was vilified from both the left and right, for whom it was either an apology for fascism or a slanderous attack on brave public servants. Of course, away from the political columns the film was immensely popular with the general public, gaining notoriety from how widely pirated it was as well as its actual content.

It’s easy to see why it so divided opinion. Based on a semi-fictitious account of life in a very-much-real militaristic police unit tasked with taking on the favela drug gangs with as much force as they like, ‘Elite Squad’ doesn’t pull any punches in how it shows the methods used by the Squad and the dangers they face. The Elite Squad, black-clad, never shy to torture and kill in pursuing their aims, are an extreme ’solution’ to a overwhelming violent crime and a police force riddled with petty corruption. It’s hard to tell whether their brutal methods help or hinder and, perhaps deliberately, the movie walks a fine-line between admiring their stoicism and unflinchingly portraying their excesses.

The movie has a very similar feel to that other big Brazilian hit of recent years, ‘City of God’ (indeed, a quick google image search will find recent photos of real-life Elite Squad members proudly walking the streets of that film’s titular slum, having apparently tamed it), with the same time-jumping narrative techniques, persistent voiceover and vibrant soundtrack.

‘Elite Squad’ isn’t always an easy film to watch – it has a lot of characters and a harsh, distant tone. Your sympathies are occasionally evoked, only to be driven away or shift elsewhere. However it is a fascinating, tense and ultimately engaging film.