CITY OF GOD
Brazil, 2002, 130 minutes, Colour.
Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Fellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva.
Directed by Fernando Meirelles.
In the early 80s, a powerful Brazilian film called Pixote startled audiences with its grim picture of city street kids, violence and drugs and dehumanising prisons. City of God takes us back to the 60s and 70s, to the slum settlements of Rio and immerses us in an experience that is harrowing, sometimes shocking. Director, Fernando Meirelles,, tells his story with cinematic verve and a visual style that combines straightforward realism with handheld camera immediacy that has the effect of making audiences observe the characters and events with some objective moral judgment as well as sharing the excitement and danger that is the world of the gang members in the City of God.
Young photographer, Rocket, tells his story and those of his friends. His voiceover introduces us to a wide range of characters, captions indicating whose story we are concentrating on, with the stories interweaving quite intricately. He takes us back to the 60s when he was a little kid and was partly afraid and partly admiring of the local gang of which his brother was a member. On the side are two little ten year olds, especially the bespectacled Benny and the worldly-wise Lil. When a massacre takes place at a motel brothel, we don't want to think that it is Lil who has killed the staff and clients. When we eventually see him do it, we realise that here is a ruthless, narcissistic, power-hungry boy who grows up to be the barrio boss.
The film's large gallery of characters bring to life their squalid life, children shooting one another, teenagers controlling drug distribution, teenagers growing into callous adults. While this is Rio, the story is the same for so many cities in so many different eras. A powerfully challenging film.
1. The impact of the film? A success world-wide commercially and critically? Awards? The impact for the Brazilian audience and its mirroring of a city, a period, the violence? A social critique of Brazil? For non-Brazilian audiences, an insight into violence in Brazil, poverty and the interconnection?
2. The location in Rio de Janeiro, the shanty towns, the look of the 60s, the cleancut cottages, the dirt streets and fields? The contrast with the crowding of the 70s and 80s, the transformation into darker slums? The poverty? The people set within this context? Authentic?
3. The visual style of the film, the hand-held camera, the different colour filters, the circling cameras? The use of the split screen? The colour processes illustrating the different periods, day and night, interiors and exteriors? The editing and pace? The musical score, the local music?
4. The structure of the film: introducing the audience to the favella, Rocket and his seeing the chicken, with his friend, with his camera, the approaching gang? The flashback to the 70s, the development of the characters during the 70s, the development of the themes of violence, especially the participation of children? The transition to the drug scene in Rio? The captions throughout the film? The screenplay and its moving backwards and forwards in time? Focusing on Rocket, his growing up, knowing the protagonists, his own stances, the demands on his life, family, the dangers? His photography, his opportunity, photographing the thugs, fearing for his life, underestimating their vanity at being photographed? The return to the initial scene with the gangs confronting each other in the street? Seeing the fight through Rocket's lens? His future?
5. The irony of the title, the name of the district? God's presence and absence? The use of religious symbolism, Catholic symbolism? The presence of the church, the influence of the church, the absence of the church? Superficial religion? The film and its pessimism, its portrayal of human nature, of crime and violence? The ending - possibility of change, possibility of hope?
6. The character of Rocket, as a little boy, playing football, not being part of the group, the small-time young gangsters in the town, the Tender Trio: Shaggy, Clipper and Goose? The planning of the crime, the brothel, the robbery? The pursuit by the police, the boys hiding in the trees, one giving himself up to the church, one killed, the other fleeing with his girlfriend and being trapped in the hijacked car while pushing it? Rocket and his observations, the involvement of his brother? His parents at home, his hard-working father? His being taught lessons so that he would not go into this gangster world?
7. The Tender Trio, their personalities, playing football, lording it over the others, as perceived by Rocket? The importance of his brother, at home, the domestic scenes, the contrast with the robbery? The portrayal of the robbery, the brothel, the girls, the clients, the taking of their money and possessions? The horror of the reprise later when it emerges that Li'l Dice had killed the workers at the brothel and the customers?
8. The Tender Trio and the collapse, the young man hiding in the tree, going to the church, changing his life? The young man killed by the police? Rocket's brother, the girl, his infatuation? Her reaction? His going to work, the cover-up, trying to get the money again? His planning to leave, his parents and the denunciation? The girlfriend going with him, the car, the pursuit by the police, the deaths?
9. Rocket and his growing up, his love for photography, getting the camera? His observing life in the favella? Going to the clubs, the drug situation, his own drug use, his best friend and their adventures? Going to the newspaper, the clash with the reporter, his photos being admired, being used, the prospect of being paid? The reporter and her having an affair with him? Using him? His response to this kind of life, relationship? His going into the City of God, moving comfortably with the criminals, photographing Li'l Ze, observing him and the drug-dealing business, the clashes of the gangs? His photographs and the paper sensationalising them, his being afraid of Li'l Ze's reaction, on the contrary, Li'l Ze being pleased with the notoriety? His relationship with Bene, watching Bene and his change of attitude, his enjoying the use of the money, his glamour and style? The deaths? The encounter with Knockout Ned, the story, the takeover by carrot of the drug baron, Ned and his alliance with him? His girlfriend and Ze raping her? Rocket and his attraction towards her, the lyrical scenes on the beach with her and his friends? The build-up to the final shootout, the chicken running across the road as at the beginning of the film, Rocket caught in between the two gangs, his photographing everything? His future career assured?
10. The portrait of Li'l Dice and Bene, so young, observing, Li'l Dice giving The Tender Trio the idea of robbing the brothel? The later irony of Li'l Dice being the psychopathic killer? The money? The two young men growing up, in the City of God, aping the American gangsters, their life, interactions? The clashes with rivals, the role of Carrot, his organising the death of the drug baron? The older, adult drug lords being killed by the teenagers and young adults? The role of Knockout Ned?
11. The portrait of Li'l Dice and his transforming himself into Li'l Ze. His dependence on Bene, a homo-erotic relationship? The brutality of his raping of Knockout Ned's girlfriend? His use of Rocket? The build-up to the gang warfare, his supreme confidence, leading the gang into the confrontation? The final irony of his being shot by a child gangster? The contrast with Bene, his being involved in all the action, his advice? Yet his wanting to be different, with the girls, in the clubs, buying the clothes, trying to make himself better? His death?
12. Knockout Ned, the background of the boxing, friendship with Rocket, involved with the drugs? His family? His girlfriend?
13. The place of women in the favella, the mothers and their grief about their sons? The girls and their becoming the equivalent of gangsters' molls? In the clubs, prostitution? The contrast with Knockout's girlfriend, the attraction for Rocket, the quiet times together? The violence and the rape?
14. The portrait of child gangsters, the seeming innocence of the 60s and yet Li'l Dice and his utter brutality? The training of the gangsters in the 70s, their organisation, the forcing of the prospective drug dealer to shoot one of two people and his actually doing it? The gangsters under the age of twelve? Aping the others? Roving in gangs, the shootouts, the killing of Li'l Ze?
15. The role of the police, turning a blind eye, actually being in charge of some of the drug deals? The significance of police corruption in Brazil?
16. The overall impact of the film, audiences being immersed in the shanty town and its life, trying to understand the characters, their backgrounds, the influences, their values and principles, the lack of principle? Poverty and its role, the desire to overcome poverty, the greed for wealth and for a different lifestyle? The significance of this social setting of Brazil and the consequences for later decades?
