HBO’s latest documentary, titled Massacre na Escola, has now caught the attention of moviegoers and critics alike. The work is rooted in the ‘true crime’ genre, but makes a conscious choice not to show the face or name of the criminal responsible for the horrific massacre. The creators justify this decision with an ethical and moral responsibility towards society, with the aim of preventing similar attacks.
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This documentary delves into the tragic story of the 2011 deaths of twelve students at a Rio state school at the hands of the same boy who studied there as a child, attempting to analyze the killer’s psyche without ever revealing his identity really reveal. This raises an intriguing question for audiences and critics alike: is it sufficient to omit the criminal’s name and face? Couldn’t productions like this inspire similar acts of violence, even if they portray anonymous criminals?
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‘School Massacre’: More Than Just a Crime Reenactment?
Despite the meticulous approach, the documentary does not shy away from showing multiple graphic depictions of the killer’s corpse spread out on the school steps. However, the greatest contrast can be observed between the ethical choices made in the production of this documentary and another documentary by the same channel the series “Flordelis, em Nome da Mãe”.
HBO reflected questionable ethical decisions by offering the series’ protagonist, Flordelis, who was convicted of her husband’s death, compensation of BRL480,000 to acquire exclusive images for the documentary series of her narrative. This act of rewarding a convicted criminal casts a veil of suspicion over the ethics of production and raises the question of possible capitalization of crime.
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The predictability of the genre pushes True Crime: “School Massacre” to new heights?
In addition to the controversial focus on portraying the perpetrator, the series also attempts to explore the possibility of femicide the murder of nineteen girls and two boys by the perpetrator. Several testimonies analyze this thesis, even if the final verdict may not yet be conclusive.
Other notable points of the series include attempts to address issues such as bullying in the killer’s childhood, the ease of buying guns, and the impact of violent video games on young people. But despite its attempts to go beyond the massacre itself, the series ultimately falls into an emotional trap typical of the true crime genre, trying to elicit emotions from the audience with poignant testimonies from survivors of the massacre.
Lessons from the Massacre: The Lasting Impact
The documentary features some notable characters such as the retired military policeman who stopped the massacre and displayed a heroic presence. Additionally, Marduk, the former principal who campaigned for the school to reopen, has proved an inspirational figure in the fight against the tragedy.
While the documentary Massacre na Escola makes a commendable attempt to present a narrative of tragedy, death and survival from an ethical angle, the question remains whether omitting the killer’s face and name is enough, or whether the production ultimately does so leads to her continuing inspiration for similar violent crimes.