City of God -- One of 2002's greatest films

Rating: 10/10 (27 September 2014)

"City of God" is a masterful film about the criminal world of one of Brazil's most notorious slums. "City of God," as the name suggests, was sold as a paradise to Brazilians whose former homes had been destroyed by floods and acts of arson. But this slum turned out to be a purgatory on earth and eventually became a burning inferno filled with violence and grinding poverty. This slum also served as a microcosm for a cynical policy of moving the poor and their problems away from the more prosperous urban areas and then forgetting about them -- unless, that is, the level of crime and violence really got out of hand.
"City of God," aside from its highly original camera work and musicality, is also a brilliant piece of story telling. This film not only has wonderfully constructed, multi-dimensional characters, but it also puts these characters in exciting, dangerous, funny, and often unbelievable situations. We can predict that many of the Brazilian kids and teenagers, who begin a life of crime, will eventually come to grief, but we cannot anticipate how or under what circumstances they will meet their fate. In addition, this film also pays unusually close attention to human nature. To take just one example, the subtleties in the friendship between self-styled boss of the "City of God" and drug lord Lil Ze and Benny (both played brilliantly by Leandro Firmino and Phellipe Haagensen respectively) are fascinating. Lil Ze is obviously a psychopath who kills and maims people with his gun almost on impulse, but the most intimate and enduring relationship in his life is with his friend Benny. As a result, Benny is often able to use his friendship to steady Lil Ze and prevent him from losing control completely. Another example is how Goose acts as a kind of father figure to Rocket, telling him never to touch his gun, while he continues his life as a hoodlum. These character studies are far more complex and interesting than the cardboard characters that come straight off the assembly line in most Hollywood films. Moreover, this attention to human nature reveals the countless little details that make us empathize with the characters in the "City of God" to varying degrees, regardless of whether they are good or bad. As a result, this movie is much more than just entertainment; it teaches something about slum life, crime, and the human condition. "City of God" is one of 2002's best films.