Triumph in Filmaking

Rating: 10/10 (13 March 2003)

One of the finest films I've seen in years, and my pick for the best movie of the year. The Brazilian film City of God is a dazzling portrayal of the violent Rio De Janeiro slum `Cidade de Deus', which ironically translates to the City of God. In this terrible world of violence, we see the story of how crime progressed through the eyes of our protagonist the aspiring photographer Rocket. Amazingly, the film spans decades, and shows many intertwining stories, which could stand alone as great films. Fernando Mareilles created this movie exclusively with untrained actors from the village, and their real emotions make the movie that much more powerful. This visually stunning film, with incredible camera tricks not only amazes you with the cinematography, but with the strong ultra violent and ultra sexual themes caused by this drug culture. The crime saga is told in the same way Goodfellas is and in many ways just as brilliantly. The violence is as powerful as any movie since Apocalypse Now and watching this masterpiece gives you a very new outlook on the potential of modern film.