Dir. Fernandes Meirelles
"It was like a message from God, 'Honesty doesn't pay, sucker!'"
Cidade de Deus, or City of God as it will be referred to from here in, is the story of Rocket, a poor kid stuck in the slums Rio de Janiero. Rocket has a passion for photography which plays a pretty integral part of the story as he gets wrapped up in two rival gangs, one lead by Li'l Zee and the other by Knockout Ned. It's not an easy film to summarize because it's not focused enough to be given a black and white one sentence summary. Maybe not even a paragraph.
And in all honesty it's that lack of black and white that is the film's biggest asset. None of these characters are cliched or paper thin. They all have depth and character, and you never know who exactly to root for. There's a clear protagonist, the aforementioned Rocket who grounds the film, but he's not as clean or upright as you would expect. Being a part of the area he comes from influences decisions he makes here, and not all of them are morally sound. This makes his character not only fascinating, but ultimately human.
Not to mention the antagonists, Knockout Ned and Li'l Zee constantly cross the line between being likeable and altogether despicable, in much the same way someone like Tarantino would treat his characters. These are bad guys, through and through, and what they're depicted doing is horrific at times, but being very human and well written and acted, these characters are sympathetic at times, and even (gasp) relatable.
I previously mentioned Quentin Tarantino's work in reference, and there's more than just a similar treatment of the characters at work here, but the style and cinematography is all reminiscent of Tarantino's. The quick cuts, interesting camera angels, and the sheer sheen of the film are all spectacular. For a film about such an awful and bleak subject, it's a beautiful looking film...something of a conundrum, but one that works in favor of the film.
If I have negatives, and there are some, it's that the film is largely unfocused. We spend too much time with too many characters that the driving narrative is sometimes lost amidst the chaos and spectacle. But then when it picks up again, the film is so spot on that it's easy to forgive the flaws. I would easily recommend this to anyone who can get past the grim subject matter, and believe me I don't use grim lightly. City of Men is an interesting film that tries to tackle a serious socioeconomic problem in an interesting and engaging way. It's a film that's earned all the praise it has received, but could easily turn some people off.
4 out of 5
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