A Lens Into the Slums of Rio, Not Into the Individual Lives

Rating: 10/10 (2 July 2017)

This film can be fully appreciated only on second viewing (if not more). What I found to be most fascinating in city of god, and is easily felt on first viewing, was that even though the film is full of "flashbacks" it captivates you in a way that makes you feel the timeline is linearly moving forward. For instance, whenever a new character or a new place is shown, we're waiting for that "the story of..." and we're so interested that we forget about the current events taking place and indulge in the brilliant storytelling. We know this is a flashback, but we're in no hurry for it to finish so we can get back to the storyline.
Of course the epic fast-paced cinematography gives us such a rush that, I believe, contributes to the captivation of these flashbacks, everything is happening so quickly and the story is so well rounded you just lose track of time and fully submerge into the film. All of the performances, literally all of the cast, were plain out real and natural. They all behaved as though the camera wasn't there and we were watching them without their notice through some magical lens.
Some may think that this film has failed in profoundly exploring the characters of this film, by only pointing out what has gone on but never looking any deeper. For example, Lil Z's insanity is never explored, it just shows you how it started with him satisfying his thirst to kill but we never understand why he's developed this thirst to kill. Yes I agree that such detailed traits were not explored, but I believe they shouldn't be, not in that manner at least. This movie isn't about diving into character's personalities as much as it is about diving into the slums, the messiness of their surroundings. The people here are no philosophers, they have the most basic human emotions to act on, lust, vengeance, greed, etc. The movie doesn't attempt to explore their profoundness because there is no profoundness to explore.
While the movie contains a classical cycle of vengeance, it isn't about this cycle of vengeance. And that's what I love about this movie, it doesn't solely rely on this cycle of vengeance nor solely rely on the plot twists that it brings. The City of God is not tunneled, it is broad and well rounded.