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City of God
(2002, Portuguese: Cidade de Deus)
If you run, the
beast will get you. If you stay, the beast will eat you.
Director: Fernando Meirelles, rated R for brutal
violence, drug use, language
  Starring:
Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Matheus Haagensen, Seu
Jorge, Jonathan Haggensen, Roberta Rodrigues, Alice Braga
DML Rating:
★★★★★★★★★☆
- near perfect
"You need more than
guts to be a good gangster. You need ideas." - Buscape,
aka Rocket
Why watch this?
Government-allowed poverty breeds crime, misery and death.
Plot Summary: Set in
the violent, poverty-stricken slums of Rio de Janeiro, the story
spans several decades as it traces the divergent paths of two
young boys growing up in the same hostile environment. While one
attempts to navigate the dangerous streets to pursue a
legitimate career as a photographer, the other embraces a life
of ruthless ambition to become a powerful drug lord.
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Dad's Preview:
Noted gangster films, such as
The Godfather
(1972) and
Goodfellas
(1990), have nothing on this crime epic. It is about life and
death in Cidade de Deus, a government-created relocation
project that moved Rio de Janerio's slum tenants outside city
limits. Multi-generational gangs roam the streets where life is
cheap and loyalties flip in an instant. Two young actors carry
this excellent film. Alexandre Rodrigues, as Rocket, battles to
survive in a world that his heart wants to escape. Opposite him
is Leandro Firmino, as Li'l Zé, a criminal psychopath devoid of
all kindness and mercy. Their lives are a balancing act between
crime and survival. Told in a series of flashbacks, the film's
jolting, chaotic structure flows evenly and is well-narrated,
even with subtitles. It's engrossing to endure, and often
overwhelming, as we witness children grow into monsters. The
saddest part for me was the realization that governments
(including our own) create these inhuman microcosms so that the
rich can live in comfort. City of God is a must see, even
if there's nothing godly about it. |
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O2 Filmes,
Video Filmes, Hank Levine Film, Globo
Filmes, Sudio Canal, Wild Bunch; Miramax Films
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