It takes a little while for The Edge of Democracy to settle into its form, but once it does, this seemingly implausible story of recent Brazilian politics is equal parts insight and warning. Filmmaker Petra Costa takes us inside the election of a series of left-wing presidents and their eventual downfall at the hands of right-wing conspiracies, to the eerie rebirth of escalating authoritarianism after years of peace and prosperity. Quite frankly, this is a scary story, and one with ramifications that reach far beyond the borders of Brazil.
The film outlines the presidencies of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula for short), a long-time labor organizer and founder of Brazil’s Worker’s Party, and Dilma Rousseff, an activist who survived two years of torture and imprisonment at the hands of Brazil’s former dictatorship. These successive presidents, both popular for their policies which aided Brazil’s most exploited and underprivileged citizens, became targets of the lingering right-wing old guard that hung onto some substantial pull.
What follows is a wild ride full of corruption, double-dealings, and outright criminal conspiracies to oust the popular leaders and seize control of the government. The terrifying part is that it works like a charm. These political deceptions divide the country in half – with one side fighting for liberty and democracy, and the other with a longing for the bygone days of the dictatorship. It’s staggering to watch as outwardly intelligent people vie for the destruction of their rights at the hands of oligarchic capitalists and sociopaths.
Petra’s direct involvement and obvious political leanings offer little in the way of objectivity, and indeed they shouldn’t. The Edge of Democracy never claims to be impartial and acts more like a diary than a news report. I have no qualms with documentaries taking sides, but the approach Petra takes – constant narration and expository explanations – often feels more like a podcast than a film. In fact, if one spoke Portuguese, the film could very nearly be listened to in the car instead of watched on a screen. The result is a somewhat disjointed pace and flow that impedes the important story.
However, the saga of Brazil’s march towards regressive politics should be paid close attention as we are seeing similar backslides all over the world, including right here at home. As capitalism and neoliberalism continue on their unsustainable paths, the division like what we have seen in Brazil will probably progress. The Occupy movement, the Arab Spring, and the current unrest in France and elsewhere proves that the fight is not even close to being over. The Edge of Democracy provides some valuable insight into that fight.
James is a writer, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.