I still fail to understand why "Carandiru" was ignored by inane Cannes film festival 2003 jury.Hector Babenco is a great filmmaker and I have still not seen "Pixote".This film provided me a great opportunity to comprehend his style.To my mind it is simply brilliant.When I saw this masterpiece at a cinema housing 1500 people,trust me when I say that I was not alone appreciating its greatness.There was absolute silence and the remaining 1499 people were glued to the movie screen. The best utility of this film is that it tells us that every human life is useful.It is the circumstance which forces people to lead a life of crime. From a sociological point,Carandiru is a film with purpose as it has shown how both White and Black people live in Brazil.Some of the scenes are incredible and the depiction of the prison is truly masterful.I was lucky enough to have met Gero Camilo who had a good role in this film.Even the performance by pop star Rita Cadillac is astounding.This film is a must see treat for every sensible film-goer. For those who think that Frank Darabont with "Shawshank Redemption" has mastered the art of filming prisons,watch out "Carandiru" will teach you a thing or two about the portrayal of prisons in films.