CULT DVD Review

City of God

Overall: 72%

Feature: 91.5 % (2 reviews)

Extras: 22%

City of God (2002)

City of God is a truly rousing piece of cinema. Based entirely in the criminal underworld of the favelas of Brazil, the film shows the struggle between the gangs, corrupt police, drug dealers and the innocent people trapped between them.

Paolo Lins wrote his novel by researching the gang wars of the Cidade de Deus (City of God), a downbeat housing project where all the poor and homeless were punted by the government. The novel was a sprawling 600 page epic that covered multiple characters and a decade worth of true stories. And so director Fernando Mierelles certainly had his worked cut out for him once he and screenwriter Braulio Mantovani decided to converge the tale to the big screen. The director auditioned over 2000 local youngsters to play a part in the film and through a series of workshops leading up to the filming of the production he has carved out some wonderful performances from the amateurs.

The film’s central character is Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) and we see most of the action of the slums through his eyes. However he is not integral to the action and he is used as a lens for the viewer to see the activity within the slum. It’s quite a nice technique as Rocket himself avoids the life of crime and becomes a photographer for a local newspaper and focuses on the crimes he witnesses on a daily basis. The opening of a film has a chicken attempting to escape from his fate as BBQ meat, and it’s a flashy opening which draws parallels to the lead character we will follow throughout the film.

Cidade de Deus (City of God)

The writer creates a rich tapestry of characters and individual storylines around Rocket and he uses a choppy narrative to constantly keep the film on its kinetically charged feet. This one throws you into the action straight away and never stops for air. Things begin in the ‘60s with Rocket telling us the tale of his big brother’s small time gang of three hoodlums who had a failed attempt at petty crime. It’s filmed in a rich, sunny and romantic haze and perfectly introduces us to some of the characters who become integral to the next part of the story.

By the ‘70s, Rocket is a teenager unlucky in love and attempting to keep his nose clean. However the gangster Lil Ze is becoming ever more notorious and his dislike of another local gangster, Carrot Top, set things in motion. After the death of one of the most likeable guys in the favela and the rape of a girlfriend of another important character the war begins.

In the ‘80s it’s all out war and there are deaths everywhere, kids are joining up with the gangs at a very young age and the future of the characters we have got to know does not seem very promising.

It’s an epic tale crossing over the decades, it’s reminiscent of Scorsese’s Goodfellas but is infused with the manic energy and gritty feel of new Latin cinema (such as Amores Perros). A must have for any film fan.

Graziella Moretto and Alexandre Rodrigues

Extras:

News From a Personal War: A riveting documentary that follows the lives of various people living within the favela. Tragically a lot of the people interviewed are commemorated in the closing credits.

FEATURE: 98%

EXTRAS: 21%

OVERALL: 72%

The disc could have done with a lot more special features on the making of the film. It would have been interesting to see audition tapes and the process of getting the performances out of the kids.

Stewart McLaren

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2nd Opinion:

Released in 2002 this brilliantly shot film follows two young boys growing up in a violent suburb of Brazil’s drug infested capital during the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s. Each take a different path in life and as they both become embroidered into the brutal world of gang culture where crime controls the streets and where children are stripped of their innocence and forced to commit the most horrendous of transgressions.

Through grave poverty in an area of over saturated population we watch our main characters, these children, struggle for a purpose in the embryo of what is to develop into the Favela of Rio de Janeiro. Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) has a dream of escapism, a sense of opportunity and his aspirations to become a photographer allow him this window of hope. Lil Ze (Leandro Firmino) who observes more selfish opportunities takes a very different path in life on the way to becoming a formidable drug dealer and gang leader.

The film provides a fearless look at how society can break down and where the idea of “self-policing” can go beyond even that of a vigilante. The style in which this is shot and directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund adds to the frenzied and at times hysterical feel of subject matter. The story itself creates many emotions, it’s unsettling, thought provoking and yet undeniably heart felt.

Many viewers may think that subject matter is, at times, in bad taste but the violence is absolutely necessary, without this the story has no real weight, without this you lose the sense of desperation that engulfs our characters. The violence reinforces anguish but also gives perspective to those moments of triumph.

With four Oscar nominations this film was rightfully recognised across the globe and perhaps gave some a glimpse of what is on offer outside of Hollywood ’s polished walls.

FEATURE: 85%

Alan Whitfield