In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Brazilian film industry had witnessed a complete decline. It was both related to quality and quantity of films which were made in Brazil. Things begin to change for Brazilian cinema in 1994 when Lamarca was released. In many ways, it is considered a pioneer film for Brazilian cinema as it portrayed the life of an army general who gave up his career in order to support the cause of poor people of Brazil. Although the film maintains a certain authenticity to real events which were part of general Lamarca's life, director Sergio Rezende took proper care to ensure that numerous fictional elements were properly integrated in order to strike a fine balance between entertainment and the depiction of history on screen. The performance by actor Paulo Betti is one of the important reasons to watch this film about a man who claimed that he would always remain a military man but was forced to switch sides in order to fight injustice on behalf of the oppressed people. What is shocking about Lamarca's death is that it was caused due to the treachery of the very people whose rights were being defended by him. This is something which lessens the role of Brazilian military in the killing of general Lamarca. At a time when overall quality of biopics has declined a lot, Sergio Rezende's 'Lamarca' would turn out to be a great viewing experience as it presents events and facts as they were without bothering to meddle with any kind of tinkering.
