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Plot:
Cidade de Deus (City of God) is a housing project built in the 1960's that--in the early 80's--became one of the most dangerous places in Rio de Janeiro. The tale tells the stories of many characters ...( read more
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Cidade de Deus, (City of God) Recent Reviews
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:January 3, 2009
The ending of this movie is poignant and makes your guts churn...the cinematography is top notch and the story is tight tight TIGHT!
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MCT:December 28, 2008Brilliant.
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MCT:November 28, 2008
''You need more than guts to be a good gangster, you need ideas.''
Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer.
Alexandre Rodrigues: Buscapé - Rocket
Leandro Firmino: Zé Pequeno - Li'l Zé
Guns, drugs, ambitious youths, gangs, killing...What's not to like about City Of God?, it's got all these serious issues in a potent mix...
Brilliant narration that whole heartedly pulls you in. The character's in the story solidifies like a spider web newly spun. Detail is not enough to describe City Of God as a word alone. Feast your eyes upon one of the greatest films directed by acclaimed Director Fernando Merielles.
City Of God, Cidade de Deus is a way of life that unfortunately exists in the world. As bad and evil as it is I oddly felt a strange satisfaction and sense of awe at the power of wielding a gun and it's effect of godly superiority upon it's wielder. When shooting and killing is as easy as breathing, problems in your life pale in comparison compared to City Of God.
Based on Paulo Lins' eyewitness testimony of the bloody turf war which for years raged in Rio De Janeiro's most notorious slum, City Of God contains enough indelible characters and unforgettable stories to fill several good films. After some five years of preparation, director Meirelles marshals this wealth of material in a dizzying variety of ways, finding (even after two hours of gun battles) new ways to shoot and edit a sequence.
However, if City Of God were notable chiefly for inventive editing, then it would be merely a remarkable technical achievement; but the film's real ace is the kids. Through an exhaustive series of open auditions and workshops, Meirelles and co-director Lund not only unearthed dozens of non-professionals right out of the favelas, they also encouraged them to improvise large sections of the script.
The scene in which two young kids must decide whether they want to be shot in the hand or the foot contains some of the most powerful acting ever committed to film with devastating consequences.
The multiple stories told are really beautiful, you feel more than a spectator. you feel part of their world. Rocket, Ze, Bene, Thiago and Sandro...these characters, I feel like I've been through their ordeals and transgressions with them. The photography also in this was fascinating showing there's more than one way of ''shooting'' something.
A masterpiece, a true story...my review, my words, a small tribute in return for the greatness that is City Of God.It ends how it begins..
With no Winners... -
MCT:October 28, 2008
"If you run you're dead...if you stay, you're dead again. Period."
Fernando Meirelles' City of God is a sweeping tale of how crime affects the poor population of Rio de Janeiro. Though the narrative skips around in time, the main focus is on Cabeleira who formed a gang called the Tender Trio. He and his best friend, Bené (Phelipe Haagensen), become crime lords over the course of a decade. When Bené is killed before he can retire, Lil' Zé attempts to take out his arch enemy, Sandro Cenoura (Matheus Nachtergaele). But Sandro and a young gangster named Mane form an alliance and begin a gang war with Lil' Zé. Amateur photographer Buscape (Alexandre Rodrigues) takes pictures of the brutal crime war, making their story famous. City of God was screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.
Review
One of the finest films I've seen in years, and a foreign movie at that one. The Brazilian film City of God is a dazzling portrayal of the violent Rio De Janeiro slum `Cidade de Deus', which ironically translates to the City of God. In this terrible world of violence, we see the story of how crime progressed through the eyes of our protagonist the aspiring photographer Rocket. Amazingly, the film spans decades, and shows many intertwining stories, which could stand alone as great films. Fernando Mareilles created this movie exclusively with untrained actors from the village, and their real emotions make the movie that much more powerful. This visually stunning film, with incredible camera tricks not only amazes you with the cinematography, but with the strong ultra violent and ultra sexual themes caused by this drug culture. The crime saga is told in the same way Goodfellas is and in many ways just as brilliantly. The violence is as powerful as any movie since Apocalypse Now and watching this masterpiece gives you a very new outlook on the potential of modern film. -
MCT:September 21, 2008
Perhaps it was the absurd amount of hype i'd invested myself in prior to watching "City of God" for the first time this afternoon - but ultimately I found it to be a slick, yet at times fairly un-involving film. Comparisons are drawn to "Goodfellas", and even "Amores Perros", but this didn't come close to the love I have for this films, particularly "Amores Perros". What's missing in an otherwise flawless film is an emotional attachment to somebody - anybody. It's hard to invest in such a raw, relentless, and violent film without caring for the people. "City of God" plays like a documentary, and it's handheld camera feels voyeur, yet we feel completely detached. To me, a great movie needs to make me feel for the characters - more than just simple humanitarian compassion, but actual love and a desire to see them strive for something better.
"City of God" is based on true events that occurred in Rio de Janeiro in the 1960's and 70's. The novel was written by Paulo Lins, who is a survivor of the environment. Narrated by a young aspiring photographer, Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), the film's central plot is the rise and fall of a ruthless and insane gang leader, Li'l Zé (Leanadro Frimino da Hora). We initially see Li'l Zé (then named Li'l Dice) and the other characters of the film committing small robberies, but the violence escalates as the film wears on. These children don't chose to be violent - it's simply the effect of the environment. Crime seems to be the only means of an adequate survival.
Like many films of this genre, the plot isn't as simple as a sociopath drug dealer. The plot weaves in and out and spans a decade - we're introduced to characters as often as characters are killed. "City of God" keeps up such a relentless pace that at times it was a struggle to put names with faces while keeping up with the frantic editing and camera movements. The film isn't necessarily confusing - but it's also far from light entertainment. This is not one you'll casually sit down with your friends with and watch over a bowl of popcorn.
Director Fernando Meirelles (and co-director Kátia Lund, who is shamefully not acknowledged for her work in the film) had a lot on his plate with a story of this magnitude and he told it with style. The difference between the style in "City of God" and the style of a director like Quentin Tarantino is that the slick camera movements don't glorify the violence. Nothing about this film is "cool", and only a madman would want to subject himself into an environment as horrifying as this one. For what is an incredibly disturbing film, we see little-to-no blood, leaving the horrors only to our imagination. Everyone in this film murders one another, even the prepubescent children, with such unflinching ease. The scene with Li'l Zé going on a rampage in a bordello is especially traumatic.
The acting in the film is top notch all around. My favorite performance was the unforgettable Li'l Zé, played with confidence by Leanadro Frimino da Hora. Zé is a man we should fear, and never let him out of our site. He'll do whatever it takes, and kill whoever it takes, to get ahead. He'll even aspire to kill a man just because he's better looking then him. Another memorable performance is Phellipe Haagensen's Benny - the charming, friendly, and charismatic drug dealer who is quite the opposite of Zé. There's a sweet moment right before unforgettable violence in which Benny gives Rocket a camera at a night club.
Although this is as visually impressive as you could possibly get, I found myself to be fairly underwhelmed. I do have a bit of a bias against films of this genre as the violence doesn't appeal to me, but I would have liked more of a connection with the people in the film. As I said, the violence isn't once exploited or glorified - but as an outsider, I rarely flinched as the body count grew higher and higher. The lead actors are all charismatic and appealing, but I wonder if it would have left more of an impact with me with a more refined style rather than whirling camera movements and faced paced editing.
"City of God" is a very good film, but ultimately I was disappointed due to a lack of memorable characters (outside of Li'l Zé). The cinematography is absolutely stunning and watching this on a large HD screen will leave your jaw agape, but i'd certainly recommend a more resonating film like "Amores Perros" before you watch this one. Great work, but i'm not sure that I see it as the masterpiece that many others do.
Comments
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adikarmaposted 447 days ago -
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Hi guys, im sure some of you are aware of the City of Men movie sequel out later this year, heres a website for the trailer. its looking like another excellent movie, with that unique style of directing, and camera work. (it may take some time to load)
http://www.lumina-films.com/Promo_CDH.mpgposted 605 days ago -
I watched this a few days ago it's a real eye opener on how life is In Rio in the the Flavellas, highly recommended to watch.
posted 649 days ago -
THIS IS A GREAT MOVIE , IS LIKE A BRAZILIAN SCARE FACE I RECOMENDED, MUST SEE
posted 657 days ago -
An Xcellent film by any1's standards. More than deserving ov all the accolaides it pikked up in 2003. :)
posted 677 days ago -
Simply put, this is indeed one of the greatest films you will ever see. If that isn't enough to persuade people to watch, I don't know what is.
posted 796 days ago -
One of the many masterpieces of the moving image world. City of God tells us a story of two boys living in the same violent neighbourhood of Rio de Janeiro. If you ever think Rio de Janeiro, think Christ the Redeemer. Totally wrong. This movie shows the real truth, and not the delusions of the realm.
One of the two boys eventually becomes a photographer while the other plants his career in drugs; and eventually establises his own mafia. He fights his way up to the very top without knowing the real meaning of life.
The story is told, and re-told from different points of view. This will always be a movie that someone would want to watch over and over again, and will be remembered as a legend. Who cares to what people say about the movie not being in English. Them and their Hollywood will never achieve something like this. Nevertheless, Fernando Mirelles, a legend in moviemaking.posted 952 days ago
