The 7th Greatest Film of All Time

Rating: 10/10 (5 January 2020)

City of God tells the semi-autobiographical story of one young man's experiences growing up alongside the gangs of one of Brazil's most natorious slums in the 1970's. It's stylish. It's groovy and hip. Those things in and of themselves don't make a great movie. But here they serve the story in a remarkable way. The music of the decade and the documentary-like camerawork and slick editing all enhance the experience. The way in which the lead character's everyday struggles are expertly and fluidly intertwined with the rise and fall of the neighborhood gangs is astounding as he brushes shoulders with various characters on both sides of the law. And the narration, which I don't normally enjoy in films, is some of the best I've come across. Very well done.