City of God starts with the clear indication of what is going to happen in the next two hours. Knives are sharpened, vegetables are chopped and a chicken loses its head. After a while we can witness a two decades of real child gangster warfare that gripped the slums of Rio de Janeiro- feel the smell of blood, taste of drugs and flying bullets that take life as an irrational joke.As the tag line says -"If you run the beast catches, if you stay the beast eats."
Rocket is the main narrator and protagonist in the film. He is a quiet, honest boy who dreams of becoming a photographer, and the only character who seems to keep from being dragged down into corruption and murder during the gang wars.The film starts with the story of three impoverished thieves known as the "Tender Trio" (Trio Ternura)— Shaggy, Clipper, and Goose.Rocket is the younger brother of Goose. Several younger boys idolize the trio and follow them around - one among them is Li'l Dice ,an young chap who is ultra-violent psychopathic and nature.As years pass Lil Dice becomes the most notorious criminal in the city.
The Brazilian film maker Fernando Meirelles wonders us with his impressive film making abilities and magical storytelling skills.With a group of unprofessional children,he has converted a novel into one of the best action,epic and crime films of history.
Apart from the factor of business, films have to fulfill its social responsibilities. As it is one of the mainstream media,it has the capability of influencing people.This film has done its responsibilities as a social media. It showed us the nasty and ugly truth that normally happens in slums of all countries,especially developing and under developed nations due to poverty and illiteracy.Children learn from their surroundings. Let their surroundings be filled with joy and love,and not with bullets and knives.
A sequence from City of God
Boy 1: The big deal is dope, you got it?
Boy 2: If you wanna be a dealer, you gotta start as a delivery boy, see?
Boy 1: This delivery boy business is real bullshit. The time it takes being a delivery boy, then security and then manager, is way too long.
Boy 2: What you gonna do? You've gotta wait for them to die...
Boy 1: No way! I'll do it just like Li'l Zé did: you gotta whack everyone and that's it!
Movie Info
Director: Fernando Meirelles. Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Alice Braga.
Runtime : 130 mins.
Gross collection : $30 million.
Interesting facts
The story is based on real events and all the characters existed in reality. Time chose it as one of the 100 greatest movies of all time.This movie is included in our must watch action films list and must watch epic films list
