Colin-H
Second Unit
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2002
- Messages
- 391
Fernando Meirelles’ Cidade de Deus (City of God) slides you effortlessly into the world of this Rio de Janeiro slum. The narrative hops gracefully between two eras: the ’60s, where we see the protagonists as wide-eyed children, and the drug-heavy ’70s–early ’80s. Cidade is a violent movie, but its success lies in its realism. We follow the life of the slum through Rocket, and we grow and harden with him. The first time we see a prepubescent boy lift a gun, it’s heart-wrenching. The second time, it’s shocking. The third time, we are almost numb to it. The children in the slum want only to break free from their impoverished existence, and because of that, we are at least mildly sympathetic with even the most violent thugs, including the slum’s self-anointed king, Li’l Zé. This movie provokes its audience to question hope and to question happiness. Is life as a fish-seller better than death as a drug lord? ‡‡‡‡