Much much muuuch too long! Otherwise it's an important documentary to show the cruel reality of today's society.

a tragic day in a very tragic life.....recommended.

Horrifying, almost unbearable dissection of a tragic event and of the profound social problems which led to it.

Shanytowns, poverty, drugs, social injustice, corruption, police inefficiency, theaft, murder and a society rotten to the bone: 'Bus 174' is the culmination of the Latin American tragedy. In a country where the richer 10% owns 75% of its wealth, a troubled teenager ignored by society avenges the murder of his mother and his friends by hijacking a bus, without fully knowing why and what will he gain. Excellent documentary vividly depicting many social problems in today's Brazil and South America.

This film in my opinion exposes the 'street kids' of Rio and the crime & corruption they cannot escape on a far deeper level than "City of God", and documents their victimization on a much more personal level. The result is chilling. Shots of the city from above and the "any jail in Rio" scenes were absolutely stunning.

Though somewhat blunted by Jose Padilha's shortcomings as a filmmaker, Bus 174 paints a palpable portrait of social sickness, strife and horror, interweaving revealing interviews with an arsenal of compelling footage from a hijacker's doomed stand-off. In an era where documentaries often seem designed to titillate and distort fact as much as they might present them, this film's raw insight is almost unique -- compensating for a deficiency in style and structure.

This documentary gave me a sense of how a Stockholm Syndrome feels like

Terrifying, tragic, depressing. I was at the edge of my seat. Terrible what happened, both to the victims and Sandro. What an unfair life he had, I thought it was quite unfair.. He was 'invisible' to society

"Padilha sheds light on numerous social catastrophes and hypocrisies plaguing Rio de Janeiro and the incestuous, complex relationship between real life and reality television." - Ed Gonzalez

If you are a citizen of the United States. This film depicts the future of the States as envisioned by the conservatives. Deny children education, health care, jobs, and compassion. Have the non-unionized police shoot them if they do actually make it to adulthood. Bleak, beautifully illustrated.

Poignant and haunting, 174 refuses to make judgments or choose sides, while says painful things about society: Sandro isn't a monster, but a man raised by an indifferent and irresponsible state. An indifferent and irresponsible people.

Unsettling, unbelievable true story. The footage will stun you.

An interesting sociological case study, both in exploring how the roots of its subject led to a seemingly inevitable confrontation and the presence of the media affected the final result and perception of the event. Still annoying in how it spells out every detail. In its depiction of how a position in the invisible margins of society can incite violence, find its fictional superior analogue in Crimson Gold.

Powerful and important, with some great footage.