Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Man on Fire’ begins with an investigation into an explosion that brings down an entire building in Rio de Janeiro. The only survivor is a young girl named Poe Rayburn, who is now under the protection of her father’s friend, John Creasy. A former mercenary who worked for the CIA, Creasy has been out of the game for four years. When his friend is killed, and his daughter’s safety is threatened, Creasy returns to his old ways, vowing to unravel the whole thing, no matter who is on the other end. One of the major suspects behind the explosion is Ferraz, the leader of an organization called FRP, which has been working against the sitting President for a while. However, there turns out to be more to the story, especially the part Ferraz plays in it. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Ferraz and FRP are Fictional Additions in Man on Fire
‘Man on Fire’ is a fictional story inspired by the character created by A. J. Quinnell in his novel of the same name. The adaptation takes significant liberties, bringing its original storyline and characters, including President Carmo and his rival, Ferraz, who runs FRP. The organization and its leader are entirely fictional and are not particularly inspired by any real-life Brazilian political figure or organization. However, both play a part in the story that reflects the corrupt practices of a potentially fascist regime. In the beginning, FRP takes responsibility for the explosion, but given its history, the act seems entirely out of character.
In the end, it is revealed that Ferraz and FRP were fall guys used to blame the attacks on and make it look like the country is under terrorist attack. The real perpetrators wanted to invoke the state of emergency so that the power would remain in the hands of the sitting President, who feared he would lose in the next elections. Meanwhile, Ferraz and FRP were actually a non-violent organization that showed dissent against the current government and its rising corruption. The organization never got involved in anything that would disrupt the country’s peace and jeopardize the lives of its public. Moreover, Ferraz speaking out against Carmo also made him quite a popular figure, and Carmo feared that this popularity might overthrow him.
As happens in fascist regimes, dissenters and rival political figures are thrown in prison to stop them from changing things in the country. Carmo does the same with Ferraz, and to make things worse, he abducts his family. Now that he has leverage over Ferraz, he is free to make the poor man do whatever he wants. So, Carmo and his collaborators come up with the plan of the explosion, and Ferraz is forced to accept the responsibility for it for the sake of his family’s safety. It takes a while for Creasy to get to the bottom of the truth, but once that happens, he makes sure that Ferraz’s family is safe and the truth about Carmo comes to light.
Read More: Man on Fire Ending Explained: Are Tappen and Soares Dead?
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