CIDADE DOS HOMENS (CITY OF MEN)
Brazil, 2007, 106 minutes, Colour.
Douglas Silva, Darlan Cunha, Jonathan Haagensen, Rodrigo Dos Santos.
Directed by Paolo Morelli.
Several years ago, Fernando Mireilles’ City of God made a huge impact on world audiences with its taking them into the barrios of Rio de Janeiro and introducing them to the gangs, the individuals and the groups, and the hard lives they led and the violence that was their way of life.
There was a spin-off television series, City of Men, that continued the stories of the barrios.
Now, there is a feature film which is a spin-off of the television series.
After showing us the kingpin of the hill and his entourage (and the second-in-charge whom he cavalierly treats as a servant), the film focuses on two young men, friends from childhood (shown in flashbacks) and connected by family ties to the gang leader. One of them has a young child, the other is still looking for his father.
While the film continues to show the gun warfare (with a steady supply of arms getting into the barrios), especially when the second-in-charge leads an uprising, the personal drama and interest in the film is what happens to the two young men: the wife leaving one with their baby as well has his being forced to become involved in the fights; the other finding his father through his friend, some bonding with the father and discovering disturbing stories from the past (also in flashback) which threaten to wreck the friendship.
The film presents the tensions in the area, the macho bravado of the gang members, their violence and vindictiveness. But, this time, with the two young men and their stories, there are some suggestions of hope.
1.Brazil in the 21st century? Rio de Janeiro? The city, the barrios? Crime and gangs? A portrait? Insight? Society? Redemption and possibilities of hope?
2.The impact of the film City of God? The subsequent television series, City of Men? This film following on from that, with the same characters and performers?
3.Rio and its vistas, the mountains, the beaches, the sea? The wealth?
4.The contrast with the barrios, the vistas of the hills, the streets, the buildings, the steps, shops and homes? The musical score?
5.The title, its evocation?
6.The feel of Brazil, colour, sunshine, night and days?
7.The backgrounds, the gangs, the guns, drugs? Midnight as the leader of the gang? Group loyalties? The cousins, the girls? The second-in-charge and his being humiliated by Midnight? At the beach? His treachery, the beginning of the warfare? The second-in-charge, his own loyal group? The set-up of the warfare, the decisions?
8.The warfare and the shootings, the guns, deaths, fears, people hiding? Reprisals, the girl and her hair being cut?
9.Ace and Wallace, their place in the barrios, their friendships in the past, the flashbacks? Their being related, sharing loyalties to Midnight? Yet not wanting to be involved in the warfare? Their discussions, prospects? Ace and his memories of schooling, leaving school, marriage, the child? His relationship with his wife? His age? His wife’s father and family and the repercussions of the warfare? The clash with his wife, her going to work, his taking the baby to the beach, leaving it at the beach, its being taken back to Midnight’s house, the search and finding it? The wife deciding to leave?
10.Ace and Wallace in the war, their loyalties, their options, their personal clash, the killing of people dear to them? The dangers, the girl and her cut hair?
11.The role of fathers, the memories of the two boys? The two fathers and the flashbacks? Criminals? Ace’s father, the stories about him, their being visualised, tough, giving guns to the boys, to Midnight? His being set up, shot? Wallace’s father shooting him? Ace and his finding Wallace’s father, approaching him? The celebration of the birthday? Wallace going to see his father, talking to him? Bonding? The father wary? Allowing his son to stay? Wallace’s return, nowhere to go, staying at the house, talking with his father, the father going shopping, the preparation of the meal? His seeing Ace in the meantime, getting the truth about his father killing Ace’s father? His leaving?
12.Ace and the information, his father, the enmity after the friendship? Wallace seeing his father arrested for his deals?
13.The return to the war zone, the gunfire, hiding, getting the gun, Midnight and the others and the shootouts?
14.Ace’s wife, the phone call, her staying away?
15.Ace and Wallace and their future, the discussions? Turning their back on the gangs?
16.The portrait of the other members of the gangs, relatives, guns, macho stances, the killing of the 2IC?
17.Themes of poverty, lack of opportunity, lack of education, peer pressure? Macho styles and wanting to be big men? The effect on relatives and families? An insight into the social problems of Rio?
