Sounds in the City of God

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 2008)

Fernando Meirelles did an amazing job directing the film City of God. He didn't just direct, he sculpted the lives of the characters the viewer sees on screen and allows the audience to know them. He almost makes it possible for a viewer to even feel what they feel. It is a dark world in the City of God, but it is also a loud one.
It is no wonder City of God won the Golden Reel Award. Not only do they use cinematography to draw viewers into the world of Rocket and Lil' Ze, but they also enhance the experience with an incredible score and soundtrack. The score heard during the raid of the prostitution house by the Trio served to intensify feelings of excitement and assists the viewer in feeling the excitement of the young men committing the crime. The audience is given the tools to feel what the characters feel in that moment in time.
Narration, while overused by some, was used well in City of God. Meirelles did not use narration to tell the story, but to supplement and enhance it. It only serves to assist the audience further into Rocket's tumultuous world. While life in the City of God is indeed ear shattering at times, Meirelles also utilized silence brilliantly. A moment of silence just after Benny's murder is key in bringing the audience into the depth of exactly what this turning point means in the world of the City of God and it's inhabitants.
City of God is well done and high on my list of recommendations (to those who can stomach the violence). In my opinion, it is a masterpiece of delving into a world unknown and the lives of those who live there.