The ?City of God? is home to 2 million slum dwellers in Rio de Janeiro. Ironically, it?s a god forsaken place. Repressive violence is the law. This is the kind of place where life expectancy can be measured in minutes if the going gets tough.
Directed by Fernando Meirelles, the film traces the formation of two rival gangs in the 70s. If movies about gangs are your cup of tea, you are definitely going to like it. However, if you are not one, you are going fall in love with this one. The film portrays the gangs, with their young members and leaders (They are all teens!) with such honesty that it hits you hard.
It starts with a bunch of hoods chasing a chicken on a road as if their lives depended on it. (Maybe it did.) The timing couldn?t be worse, as the cops and members of the rival gang are ready for a battle at the same time. Caught in the ensuing encounter is our narrator Rocket. Yes, that is his name. A flash-back sequence takes us back a decade and tells us how the Triad gang was formed in the housing settlement areas for underprivileged people.
It is here that little groups of kids start their careers off doing small-time jobs like holding up trucks carrying gas cylinders. Rocket grows up amidst all this violence, without actually participating in any crimes. It seems like a commendable achievement when every other kid dreams of becoming a drug lord.
The way the director takes us from the present to the past and the technique used deserve special mention. This movie?s slick camera work is as engaging as the drama that unfolds on-screen.
The violence is chilling. There?s a sequence in which the mysterious killing of workers and customers in a Motel is explained. Its viciousness is surprising considering how little blood we see. Another scene where a member of a small-time gang consisting of 8-9 year olds is executed leaves a lasting impression. There?s also a funny scene where the narrator tries to get himself to commit a robbery but fails to even try it, as all his potential victims appear so ?cool? to him.
The casting is perfect. None of the characters look out of place. From the nameless 8 year old about to get shot by a wannabe hood, to ?Lil Ze? the gang?s leader, everyone is fantastic. It?s very rare to see a film with so many actors and so many good performances.
This is the director?s first film. That’’s surprising because it hardly looks that way. Fernando Meirelles displays a tremendous understanding of life and death in Rio?s slums. The movie does not preach. It does not magnify or glorify the violence. It does not even take sides. It just gives you an unbiased view of what life is like in the dangerous world of Rio?s slums where crime is the only profession that pays, or so it seems.