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City of God (2002)
Based on a true story, Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund’s City of God depicts the brutal world of drug dealing and gun battles in the midst of a city where dying young is not uncommon. A hard-hitting but equally brilliant film, City of God is uncompromising in its portrayal of two boys – Rocket and Lil Dice – that grow up in the City of God during the Sixties and by the Seventies have taken completely different paths. Lil Dice has immersed himself in the violent world of drug warfare while Rocket wishes to be free of the city and to pursue his dream of photography.
The film begins with the story of the Tender Trio that commits small robberies in the city but are generous in sharing their ill-gotten gains so no harm comes to them when the authorities arrive asking questions of the locals. Lil Dice, though only a boy, inspires the gang to rob a nearby hotel but when they reach their target, the Tender Trio leave a frustrated Lil Dice as lookout while they proceed with the robbery. After Lil Dice breaks a window to signal the retreat, the Tender Trio makes their escape while Lil Dice enters the hotel and murders everyone inside before seemingly disappearing.
City of God will be a hard film for some to watch. The image of young children wandering the streets wielding guns is difficult to comprehend and some of the atrocities committed by the brutal Lil Ze are hard to stomach, leaving nothing to the imagination. Though a gritty film it is impossible not to be enthralled. Rocket’s fight for survival and how he brought the events of the City of God to the rest of the world is an amazing story. It’s a brilliant reflection of the fiercely competitive world of drug dealing and, with anyone potentially being ousted every day, the film will keep you guessing right up until the gripping conclusion when Lil Ze and Carrot’s frequent gun fights and skirmishes throughout the city finally erupt into one final, decisive battle.
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