World Cinema: Week #3 - City of God (2002)

Super late but yet I continue to post it. I watched this great Brazilian film in class a few weeks back and it was a delight. I'll try to make this short and sweet.

City of God (2002) was superbly made and the audience was definitely made to feel the severity of the events throughout the story. The characters and events are based on true events in the Cidade de Deus, however certain aspects were embellished for film sake. Despite its great cinematic quality, it also held a strong sense of scenic realism that help to add to the verisimilitude to the film.

The actors were relative unknowns for the most part, which was done on purpose. Many of the children in the film were actually from the area or the sort of slums that were present in the City of God, which lends more credence to the realistic atmosphere of the film.

The story follows Rocket, a young boy who grows up in the City of God, a drug and violence riddled neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro. It starts in the 60s and follows the progression of organized crime through to the start of the 80s. 

If it seems like I wrote slightly more like an artistic douchebag than usual then you'd be right. I wanted to see what it'd be like, I did not enjoy it but my Backspace button is rather unappealing. I clearly still have my own poor writing skills present but added an extra layer of snooty banter on top. So I'll cut that crap out.

A description of the film doesn't really do it justice. This film is also not for the faint of heart. There are some pretty intense moments and a lot of violence. For those that think they can handle it, I strongly urge you to see this film. It gives a great appreciation to the events that actually occurred in Rio and gives a better idea  of certain parts of different cultures outside of our own. Even if you don't like foreign films (who likes to read subtitles?) give it a shot, you won't regret it....and if you do regret it, don't tell me about it.

Notes:

- Poster image obtained from www.impawards.com