FilmFan
07-20-2009, 06:00 AM
http://www.pictureshowpundits.com/img/upload/poster/97.jpg
Cidade de Deus aka City of God
Running time: 130 minutes
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues
IMDB rating: 8.8
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317248/
When I decided to do the 30 films in 30 days thing, I intended to watch a wide range of films from different cultures and locations. Despite this, I realised a couple of days ago that I'd watched quite a high number of films from East Asia and South/South-Western Europe, and nothing from places such as South America, Africa or Eastern Europe. So, with the end in sight, I decided to watch one of the most acclaimed foreign-language films of the past decade, Brazil's 'City of God'.
The main character (and narrator) is Rocket, who plays a key part in the events that take place over a number of years in an area known as The City Of God, a low-income, high-crime neighbourhood in Rio.
Though not involved in crime himself, it's something that surrounds him and is an integral part of his life. His older brother is involved in robberies, his friends use drugs, and his attempts to earn an honest living are hampered by petty thieves that he hardly knows.
As time goes by, a particularly cold-blooded individual (L'il Ze) begins to take charge of the neighbourhood, which results in a certain amount of calm for a time, but ultimately leads to a series of brutal confrontations with his enemies. In the meantime, Rocket attempts to fulfil his aspirations of losing his virginity and becoming a photographer.
This is an excellent piece of storytelling, and it's easy to see why it has received so much praise. Over the course of the film, there are moments of hope, despair, happiness, tradegy and intensity.
8.25/10
Cidade de Deus aka City of God
Running time: 130 minutes
Directed by: Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues
IMDB rating: 8.8
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317248/
When I decided to do the 30 films in 30 days thing, I intended to watch a wide range of films from different cultures and locations. Despite this, I realised a couple of days ago that I'd watched quite a high number of films from East Asia and South/South-Western Europe, and nothing from places such as South America, Africa or Eastern Europe. So, with the end in sight, I decided to watch one of the most acclaimed foreign-language films of the past decade, Brazil's 'City of God'.
The main character (and narrator) is Rocket, who plays a key part in the events that take place over a number of years in an area known as The City Of God, a low-income, high-crime neighbourhood in Rio.
Though not involved in crime himself, it's something that surrounds him and is an integral part of his life. His older brother is involved in robberies, his friends use drugs, and his attempts to earn an honest living are hampered by petty thieves that he hardly knows.
As time goes by, a particularly cold-blooded individual (L'il Ze) begins to take charge of the neighbourhood, which results in a certain amount of calm for a time, but ultimately leads to a series of brutal confrontations with his enemies. In the meantime, Rocket attempts to fulfil his aspirations of losing his virginity and becoming a photographer.
This is an excellent piece of storytelling, and it's easy to see why it has received so much praise. Over the course of the film, there are moments of hope, despair, happiness, tradegy and intensity.
8.25/10