The City of Kids

Rating: 8/10 (16 October 2019)

The City of God, directed by Fernando Meirelles, displays the violence and hardships that are faced in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Fernando captures the selfishness and greed that thrives in the slums through the eyes of Rocket- a developing character that is custom to the ins and outs of the horrific lifestyle that exists within the City of God. The hectic fast paced lifestyle of the city is displayed though the use of many different style shots. Most of the shots in this film have movement in them. We see this in crane, zoom, handheld and many other shots that depict that to survive on the streets within the slum, you have to be up to speed. Through the jittery mind of Rocket we get thrown between different times and occurrences by the use of flashbacks. From a time when everything was simple for Rocket playing with his friends, until he was in the depths of a city that throws around pistols and drugs like candy. Most of the film's shots, audio, and lighting was created to showcase the dark lives of kids that are relentless criminals and addicts. Many shots contained low key lighting and back lighting to portray the darkness living within the slums. The selected violence and gruesome shots grab the emotions and hearts of the audience. Few want to get out of the bad environment while many want to thrive and rule within it. This causes many conflicts for the growth of the city. I would rate this film 8/10. Its fast pace and ability to jump between time periods to build suspense will leave you on your feet. It keeps you curios as to what will happen to the reckless kids that rule the city.