Directed by Fernando Meirelles (who would go on to direct the Oscar-winning The Constant Gardener) and set in the Cidade De Deus suburb of Brazil, City Of God stars Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino De Hora, Phellipe Haagensen, and Sue Jorge among many others. Taking place in an overpopulated slum, it naturally features a plethora of characters. The movie follows the lives of numerous individuals as they go about their increasingly turbulent lives in the ruthless city of City Of God. It's such an incredible film I can't wait to get to it, so let's dive right in.
The movie opens with our main character Rocket (Rodrigues), a budding photographer, being confronted by a notorious gang in the streets of Brazil, when a flashback takes us abruptly back to his childhood. Here we see the children of the slum going about their daily lives. Life is tough, as the area is impoverished, but the children seem to live relatively carefree lives.
But things are not all fun and games as gang activity is rife, and 3 of children, including Rocket's brother Goose, are part of a group called the Tenderness Trio. They spend their time robbing business owners, and sharing their loot with the citizens of the slum, and are protected by them in exchange. But one particular robbery irrevocably chances them all. Lil' Dice, a child who idolises the trio, encourages them to hold up a motel and rob it's occupants, while he keeps an eye out for the authorities. But the plan goes awry when Dice kills the motels inhabitants and causes the death of 2 members of the Trio.
We then cut forward in time to where Rocket is a member of the 1970's hippie movement, and is pursuing his photographic aspirations. Dice on the other hand, now going by the name Lil' Zé (De Hora), has become an ultra-violent, sociopathic drug dealer and crime lord. With childhood friend Benny (Haagensen) by his side, he plans to eliminate all rival gangs and become the head honcho. Being fairly underground, the gang doesn't attract much police attention, and Zé tries to use this as his chance to take out the leader of an opposing group called 'The Runts', but Benny convinces him otherwise.
Benny plans to leave the city and start a new life with his girlfriend, but during his leaving party things get ugly and Benny is killed, leaving Zé free to take out whoever he desires, and rain fresh Hell down upon the locals.
I was literally astounded by this movie when I first saw it. It was years ago but it left such an impact that I still remember it to this day. Its so gripping, so intense, so unrelenting in the way it draws you in and so merciless in the way it tells the story. The central characters are all engaging and none are superfluous, the action is gritty and authentic, the atmosphere is harsh and at times actually quite unnerving, and the director demonstrates his undeniable flair for film-making. It's like a documentary into a war zone, all seen through the eyes of a wide-eyed kid who grew up in a world of violence and loathing; not trying to escape it, but analyse and understand it.
On top of all this, Zé is by far one of cinemas greatest villains. He is horrible, absolutely despicable; aggressive, abrasive, uncaring, unsympathetic, and utterly indifferent to any form of suffering. All he cares about is being the top man, and he will challenge anyone, ANYONE, who gets in his way. But unlike many films where the villain is just nasty for no reason, we see him as a child, how he grew up, who he associated with. We know why he is the way he is, and the moulding of his personality is given so much weight and depth that we can actually understand his motivations.
If you haven't guessed yet, I adore this movie immensely. It creates it's own world, one that's barbaric and uncompromising, yet teems with life in all shapes and forms. It has unforgettable performances, unforgettable characters, unforgettable moments and an unforgettable storyline. That's City Of God in a nutshell: Completely unforgettable.
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