From Brazil comes the most stunning cinematic experience in recent history. A bold exaggeration? Not even. "City of God" may be the wittiest, prettiest and at times most upsetting film released in the past year, or even decade.
As its protagonists battle poverty, "City of God" stays wonderfully rich -- in story, in color, in character, in each frame and in every small moment. It's a film that will wow anyone -- at least those who can stomach the more disturbing scenes. It says what it means, it teaches without preaching, and it makes funny jokes -- then punches you in the gut.
Based on a novel that is based on a true story, "City of God" tracks aspiring photographer Buscapé, a.k.a. "Rocket" (Alexandre Rodriguez), from childhood to late adolescence, delving along the way into the lives of the many characters his life hinges on. Rocket is the main character, but not in the usual sense; he narrates and sees, with his eyes and his camera, but is only tentatively involved in the violence and drama that so strongly impacts his life. And ultimately, the main character is the City of God itself, taking precedence in almost every scene as the place for and the cause of all that goes on.
A housing project on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, the City of God was built in the 60s to get the poverty-stricken out of the city. Soon, it became one of the most dangerous places in Brazil. The movie starts with the notorious "Tender Trio," who have pushed hold-ups to the next level. The historically ruthless, power-hungry Zé Pequeno (Leandro Firmino da Hora) follows in their footsteps but steps up the ladder, dealing drugs and gunning down enemies until he becomes the City of God's drug mogul and boss.
All but one of the film's actors are non-professional, adolescent boys who live in favelas with the film's violence day in and day out. They underwent a year's intensive training before shooting started and then were given only ideas of scenes, asked to improvise the rest. As a result, their use of favela slang and body language comes from firsthand knowledge, and the effect is extreme realism, almost a documentary feel, as the camera tries to keep up with the characters.
"City of God" moves fast -- so fast its 130-minute running time can't drag. Though it rarely slows its momentum, the film somehow avoids tripping on itself. Teeming with numerous characters and plenty of diverging, then converging storylines, it would be easy for a feature of such near-epic scale to confuse itself into disorder. But directors Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund keep all the strings together, concentrating on one area, then another, but never forgetting the connections or the design as a whole.
This cohesiveness remains largely due to the back-and-forth nature of the narrative's chronology. Rocket narrates frequently, jumping from character to character before settling on one and eventually going back to the others. It's a clever narrative, made even more so by a lighthearted touch that stays above the downward spiral of the hoods in the hood, keeping the film from becoming a funeral song.
"City of God" can pack a punch. The cruelty of life in the ghetto is made very clear. Yet Meirelles and Lund are careful in making sure it doesn't overshadow the "joie de vivre" that exudes from most characters and from the energy of "God's Town." César Charlone's cinematography keeps things beautiful and interesting from start to finish, energized by Daniel Rezende's fast-paced but unfrenzied editing. Every shot seems saturated with the filmmakers' inspirations, which transfer onto audience members as they watch.
With neither sentimentality nor moralistic simplicity, "City of God" reveals the third world that reigns in the dark folds of any big city. It is tragic, beautiful, intense and spirited, but above all this, it is absolutely necessary.
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