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The film is an in depth look into the people of Rio De Janeiro, specifically the slums (favelas). It is great for the cast were unknowns and it was produced and directed by Fernando Mieralles, whom had made commercials. City of God (Cidade de Deus) I attest is in my personal list of 'top ten' movies of all times! It is compelling and very expressive. Plus, it's a great way to learn Portuguese.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Now. I’ll start out by stating that I tried this on several devices and it was unable to be read on any of them. However the disc quality doesn’t look scratched up enough to not be read. So I understand why this particular disc was put up for sale. Regardless, I purchased a film I cannot watch.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Exploding on the screen with color, violence and a great story, this Brazilian film captures the essence of life in the City of God, a slum of Rio de Janeiro. Based on a true story of a young man who somehow escaped the preordained fate of his companions by becoming a photographer, the director, Fernando Meirelles, uses every modern technique to achieve his razor-sharp scenes of drugs, murders and non-stop violence that spins out of control and just keeps going. The frantic energy of the film and fascinating story kept me at the edge of my seat, as a voice-over narration that moved backwards and forward in time, held the story together. All of a sudden, a detail would be revealed that explained something that happened in the past, and, like an electric shock, my grasp of the story would move to even deeper levels. There was little time to ponder it all though, because I was so caught up in what was happening on the screen that it was only later that I could appreciate the brilliance. We watch several young boys grow into teenagers, tentatively experiencing the world of girls and drugs and guns and murders and crime. There's upbeat samba music throughout, and brilliant colors and blood. There's horrific violence, and also fine moments of humor and humanity. All together it just picked me up and plunked me down right into the middle of this world which made me hold my breath and live on the edge with the more than 200 non-professional actors who were recruited for this film. The sense of place is amazing. And the acting was more than just acting. It was real. And it was also one of the most creative films I've ever seen. Bravo to the filmmakers! I give "City of God" my highest recommendation.Read full review
I'm having a tough time thinking of a film I've seen that did a better job at telling it's story. From the opening shot to the last frame, it tells a fantastically powerful story split up into sections. The pacing is magnificant, as each section flows beautifully to the next one without missing a beat. And the story? It's hard to beat, and it was TRUE! It's a story following several lives growing up through Brazil's "City of God", which is little more than a slum where all the poor and homeless were herded to keep them away from the more picture perfect Rio de Janeiro. This is a survival story, yet it's completely different than any survival story I've ever seen. It's not a story of one person trying to overcome odds to improve themselves. It's a story of everybody in an awful situation trying to improve themselves through whatever means necessary. And that will only lead to trouble. And trouble ensues. A druglord named Lil Ze rises up through the neighborhood taking control of all areas accept for one run by a man named Carrot. Ze wants to get rid of Carrot, but refrains due to Carrot's friendship with Ze's right hand man Benny. Let's just say that Benny leaves the picture, and a full blown gang war ensues. And that's just the second half of the movie. Everything after the sequence titled "Benny's Farewell Party" is unbelievable in every sense of the word. Unbelievably directed, acted, and unbelievably realistic. Your heart just BLEEDS for the innocent people involved in all of this, and deep down you know that these "horrible" gangsters are just living the only life they know how to live. That was set up in the first half of the movie, starting in the 1960s. It shows how things were run in the ghetto, except without the control of Lil Ze, who at this time was known as Lil Dice. And he was just little. Maybe ten years old at most. He gives his brother and some older friends the idea to rob the patrons of a motel (which in reality is a complete whorehouse) and the results are...well...beyond words. I can't describe that scene without giving away a crucial turning point in the film. All of the moments with "runts" (little kids) are gut wrenching. They want nothing more than to be the gangsters they see with money and power, and twenty years later it's the same way. This is a fantastic film. I could very easily see it taking best adapted screenplay at the Oscars, and frankly I could see Fernando Meirelles sneaking under everybody's radar to grab Best Director. This is good vs. evil to the nth degree. You get the sense that none of these people are truly bad people, they just...don't...know better. How can you fault them for living the only life they know? The only life they are ever given a chance to see? One of the characters plans to leave this life and "live on a farm, have a family, and grow a lot of pot." And let me just say, Benny's Farewell Party is among the best scenes I've had the pleasure to see on film. 10/10. See it if at all possible.Read full review
Regular Saturday night, I was flipping through my movie channels to find something I might enjoy watching and usually, I read the info provided by Mediacom along with their ratings. It is easy to see that their rating system is very harsh. Good movies get 2 stars, excellent movies get 3 stars, and so on. I have never seen a movie above 4 stars and tonight, a foreign movie gets 4 stars. I just had to see. I missed the first 20 minutes of the movie but hopefully nothing too crucial, I will have to rewatch it. Basically, it's based on a true story set in the 70's and 80's. It's about gang violence in Brazil in a town called the "City of God." Two kids start out as friends and grow up to be totally different, one a photographer and the other a drug dealer. The cinematography is excellent. Almost every single "foreign" movie I have watched has been A+ Not only are unconventional filming methods used but the stories are actually entertaining. The entire movie is in Portuguese I believe, supplied with English subtitles and it is very easy to follow. If Quentin Tarantino watched this movie, he would be impressed. There are some clear Tarantino moments his fans will love. Flashbacks, time-freezes, words that appear on screen to display different chapters and this is all done with style. At one point, one of the main characters wants to rob a bus but figures that the teller is the nice guy and we find out that he is named "Knockout Ted (or Ned)." Before the character attempts anything, he finds out that Ted was a soldier who was ranked number one sharpshooter in his troupe and although he was for love and peace, if he had to fight, he would. The camera then freezes and the main character says that later on, Ted finds himself in that very situation but his story is for another time. Just like a Tarantino film. This isn't a movie for the faint of heart, mind you. People get raped, others killed, and more. This one scene shows two kids from a gang called "The Runts" who get captured by another gang and the leader shoots both of them in the foot and forces a kid in his gang to choose one of the two to shoot. It is very graphic and with all the crying, close-ups, and yelling; it's almost as if you are there. There are so many moments I wish I could rewatch and if I find this movie on DVD, I am buying it. it is really worth it. Independent movies, foreign movies, budget movies, etc. All these should never be overlooked and from now on, I will keep an eye out for movies unheard of.Read full review
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