City of God
4/4
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Phellipe Haagensen, Seu Jorge, Alice Braga
Rated R for Strong Brutal Violence, Sexuality, Drug Content and Language
In what some may view as the height of arrogance or naivite, I once proclaimed "City of God" to be the best film ever made. Now that I'm older and hopefully a bit wiser, I realize that such a claim is probably impossible to make about a single film. That being said, Fernando Meirelles' 2002 masterpiece is definitely up there. This is a fascinating thriller that is as disturbing as it is illuminating.
The protagonist of this story, which is based on true events, is Rocket (Rodrigues). He is our guide through this hell on Earth, introducing us to its inhabitants and clearly informing us how they relate to each other. Unlike many other citizens of the slum known as the City of God, Rocket isn't a hood (his attempts to rob people end up with him getting advice from a friendly man, a ride home, and even a pretty girl's phone number...John Dillinger he is not). His passion lies in photography, which puts him in a dangerous position as he becomes caught in the middle of a vicious turf war between two crime lords: the psychopathic Lil' Ze (da Hora) and the revenge-minded Knockout Ned (Jorge).
"City of God" is less about narrative than it is a travelogue through time in one of the most dangerous places on Earth. Here, kids don't go to school or play outside. They smoke dope, deal drugs, and kill people. They are society's cast-offs, and as a result the slums have turned to anarchy ruled by drug lords. What makes it so interesting is that, while obviously a place no one wants to live in, has achieved a sort of equilibrium. Of course, when that is shaken, the streets run red with blood. To give you an idea, I'll add a bit of trivia. For safety reasons, this movie couldn't have been shot in the actual City of God. It had to be shot in a less dangerous one, although such was the risk that had Meirelles known what he was in for, he wouldn't have made the film.
The performances are uniformly excellent, particularly because at Meirelles' request, all newbies (many, including the star, actually lived in the slums). Alexandre Rodrigues makes it easy to get on his side. He's smart and articulate, has a crush on a local girl (Braga), and knows how to keep his head down. What's interesting about how he narrates the film is that he explains who the major players are as they become relevant to the story. He isn't afraid of halting the narrative to show us who these people are and how they got there. It's a little unorganized, but that's by intent. And the momentum never slows down.
Also worth mentioning are Leandro Firmino da Hora and Phellipe Haagensen. da Hora is positively chilling as the narcissistic psychopath. Lil 'Ze desires power over the entire slum above all else, and no act of savagery lies outside his moral compass if it brings him closer to what he wants. Ironically, da Hora had no intentions of becoming an actor; he only attended the audition to keep his friend company. As Benny, Phellippe Haagensen lives up to his character's title: "The coolest hood in the City of God." Haagensen has a natural charisma and friendliness that even melts the heart of a monster like Lil 'Ze and becomes his right hand man. The actor plays it perfectly.
Director Fernando Meirelles plows through the story with a furious energy that's rarely seen in movies. This is a live wire that puts our emotions through the wringer. It's at times thrilling, shocking, and disturbing. Meirelles got his start in TV and commercials, which makes sense. This is a very busy motion picture. I do mean that as a compliment though, since all the flashy camera angles, editing tricks and playing with the timeline do serve a purpose.
Don't think that when I say "energetic," I mean light-hearted or kid friendly. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is constant violence and drug use, both of which are dealt with shocking frankness. And I'd say about 75% of that involves teenagers and young children. One especially horrifying scene involves two little kids being shot, and then another kid being forced to choose which one to kill.
"City of God" became a big hit in the US upon its release, as far as foreign films go (the marketing power of Miramax doubtlessly had something to do with that). It earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Director, which is rare for a foreign film. Ironically, it was shut out of the Best Foreign Film category. Then again, the Academy is the Academy, so such stupidity is to be expected.
But for those of you who haven't seen this movie, you have absolutely no excuse. This is a masterpiece, plain and simple. No one, especially not lovers of good cinema, should miss this movie.
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Phellipe Haagensen, Seu Jorge, Alice Braga
Rated R for Strong Brutal Violence, Sexuality, Drug Content and Language
In what some may view as the height of arrogance or naivite, I once proclaimed "City of God" to be the best film ever made. Now that I'm older and hopefully a bit wiser, I realize that such a claim is probably impossible to make about a single film. That being said, Fernando Meirelles' 2002 masterpiece is definitely up there. This is a fascinating thriller that is as disturbing as it is illuminating.
The protagonist of this story, which is based on true events, is Rocket (Rodrigues). He is our guide through this hell on Earth, introducing us to its inhabitants and clearly informing us how they relate to each other. Unlike many other citizens of the slum known as the City of God, Rocket isn't a hood (his attempts to rob people end up with him getting advice from a friendly man, a ride home, and even a pretty girl's phone number...John Dillinger he is not). His passion lies in photography, which puts him in a dangerous position as he becomes caught in the middle of a vicious turf war between two crime lords: the psychopathic Lil' Ze (da Hora) and the revenge-minded Knockout Ned (Jorge).
"City of God" is less about narrative than it is a travelogue through time in one of the most dangerous places on Earth. Here, kids don't go to school or play outside. They smoke dope, deal drugs, and kill people. They are society's cast-offs, and as a result the slums have turned to anarchy ruled by drug lords. What makes it so interesting is that, while obviously a place no one wants to live in, has achieved a sort of equilibrium. Of course, when that is shaken, the streets run red with blood. To give you an idea, I'll add a bit of trivia. For safety reasons, this movie couldn't have been shot in the actual City of God. It had to be shot in a less dangerous one, although such was the risk that had Meirelles known what he was in for, he wouldn't have made the film.
The performances are uniformly excellent, particularly because at Meirelles' request, all newbies (many, including the star, actually lived in the slums). Alexandre Rodrigues makes it easy to get on his side. He's smart and articulate, has a crush on a local girl (Braga), and knows how to keep his head down. What's interesting about how he narrates the film is that he explains who the major players are as they become relevant to the story. He isn't afraid of halting the narrative to show us who these people are and how they got there. It's a little unorganized, but that's by intent. And the momentum never slows down.
Also worth mentioning are Leandro Firmino da Hora and Phellipe Haagensen. da Hora is positively chilling as the narcissistic psychopath. Lil 'Ze desires power over the entire slum above all else, and no act of savagery lies outside his moral compass if it brings him closer to what he wants. Ironically, da Hora had no intentions of becoming an actor; he only attended the audition to keep his friend company. As Benny, Phellippe Haagensen lives up to his character's title: "The coolest hood in the City of God." Haagensen has a natural charisma and friendliness that even melts the heart of a monster like Lil 'Ze and becomes his right hand man. The actor plays it perfectly.
Director Fernando Meirelles plows through the story with a furious energy that's rarely seen in movies. This is a live wire that puts our emotions through the wringer. It's at times thrilling, shocking, and disturbing. Meirelles got his start in TV and commercials, which makes sense. This is a very busy motion picture. I do mean that as a compliment though, since all the flashy camera angles, editing tricks and playing with the timeline do serve a purpose.
Don't think that when I say "energetic," I mean light-hearted or kid friendly. Nothing could be further from the truth. There is constant violence and drug use, both of which are dealt with shocking frankness. And I'd say about 75% of that involves teenagers and young children. One especially horrifying scene involves two little kids being shot, and then another kid being forced to choose which one to kill.
"City of God" became a big hit in the US upon its release, as far as foreign films go (the marketing power of Miramax doubtlessly had something to do with that). It earned four Oscar nominations, including Best Director, which is rare for a foreign film. Ironically, it was shut out of the Best Foreign Film category. Then again, the Academy is the Academy, so such stupidity is to be expected.
But for those of you who haven't seen this movie, you have absolutely no excuse. This is a masterpiece, plain and simple. No one, especially not lovers of good cinema, should miss this movie.
Comments
Post a Comment