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"City" Of
Lost Children
CITY OF GOD
RATING: A+
Starring: Starring
Alexandre Rodriges, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Matheus Nachtergaele,
Seu Jorge, Philippe Haagensen, Johnathan Haagensen, Douglas Silva,
Roberta Rodriguez Silvia, Graziela Moretto, Renato de Souza. Director
of Photography Cesar Charlone, Based on the Novel by Paulo Lins,
Produced by Andrea Barata Ribiero and Mauricio Andrade Ramos,
Screenplay by Braulio Mantovani, Directed by Fernando Meirelles.
Rated R, Running Time 135 mins. 1.85:1 Standard Flat Aspect Ratio.
In Portuguese with English Subtitles.
Rarely have I seen a film so full of energy within its storytelling
as "City Of God" and I don't think I ever will again,
at least for 2003. This story of gangs within the slums of Rio
De Janeiro recalls the early work of Scorsese, but I think director
Fernando Meirelles will soon be known for a style all his own.
It opens with a breathtaking sequence as young Rocket (Alexandre
Rodriges) chases a chicken through the ruined streets of Rio only
to find himself in the middle of a standoff between the corrupt
police on one side and gang members on another. What's incredible
and quite frightening is that this isn't bunch ordinary hoodlums,
but a small army of kids with an arsenal that rivals the military.
Much like Henry Hill of Scorsese's "Goodfellas", Rocket
is our narrator and takes us on a journey to the beginning of
his story.
 The
"City Of God" is actually the slum that was developed
to isolate the poor from the city of Rio. It is a center that
breeds crime where the gangs’ rule and the police tend not
to visit. Chief amongst the gang leaders is L'il Ze (Leandro Firmino
da Hora) a trigger-happy sociopath who we see stake his claim
as a pre-pubescent hood only to grow into the most feared individual
in the "city". As his status and influence branches
out we see Rocket evolve as well, but in a more positive direction.
A stolen camera given to him by L'il Ze ignites his artistic potential
and soon Rocket is taking pictures of Ze, his partner Benny (Phillipe
Haagensen) and other gangs, eventually landing a job as a newspaper
delivery boy. When a journalist stumbles upon one of his photos
and publishes it, Rocket thinks its a death sentence but to his
surprise, L'il Ze and his cohorts see it as publicity and offer
to pose for more pictures in exchange for notoriety.
Meirelles has chosen an incredible cast of newcomers who not only
prove to be good actors but play the most vivid characters I've
seen in recent years. Rodriges and Firmino de Hora are at the
center of it all for their unique portrayals of Rocket and L'il
Ze, two sides of the same coin. Yet we also have characters like
L'il Ze's best friend Benny who becomes influenced by the American
clothes and music of the Sixties and sees life beyond the City
of God much to L'il Ze's apprehension. Then there is Knockout
Ned (Seu Jorge), a twenty-something bus driver trying to earn
an honest living until a jealous L'il Ze kills his girlfriend
and he joins up with a rival gang for revenge, only to end up
a mirror image of Ze himself.
 "City
Of God" is also filled with a wonderful lattice of coincidences
as characters are often influenced or affected by individuals
they don't know or have never met. Knockout Ned, once an honest
kid, kills a security guard in a bank robbery only to see the
man's son return for revenge, much as Ze did to him. The lighthearted
Benny, who with his new girlfriend, wishes to take his earnings
from their drug operations and leave for America, is shot by a
bullet meant for Ze. Even a major gang leader, who moments after
declaring victory over the police who can't touch him, finds himself
assassinated by nine and ten year old thugs from the least likely
place he'd expect. Meirelles knows everyone is susceptible to
the fickle finger of fate, but he also wishes to demonstrate how
poverty has broken down all social structures within the ghetto
and that the only place kids can find status and support is with
the gangs.
The film is filled with some beautiful photography and virtuoso
shots that prove you don't need a Hollywood budget to be innovative
with a camera to tell your story. Cinematographer Cesar Charlone,
provides you with the dank and poor conditions of the slum while
at the same time revealing how it can take on a sense of timelessness
and beauty. These may have been (and still are) the homes of those
outcasts by the upper class, but the film demonstrates how individuals
can either choose to be shaped by their environment or make it
work for them to their advantage.
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