Could Be Considered Modern Mythology if it weren't True!

Rating: 10/10 (1 April 2005)

This is quite possible the best foreign I've ever seen. I'm a fan of Fellini, of Bergman, they were artist and insightful philosophers, but the gritty reality of City of God is fascinating and unparalleled.
The arch of the story and the complex interweaving of the lives we follow resembles mythology, yet this is true and it's modern. Modern Non-Fiction Mythology (which I do see is a contradiction of terms, but I don't know how else to verbalize what how I feel about it).
The direction was masterful. Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund are equal to a Brazilian Sergio Leone. This is what Leone tried to accomplish with 'Once Upon A Time In America.' He failed. Meirelles and Lund succeeded.
This movie will satisfy almost any film lover. If you like films for gangster action, if you like it film for story, or catchy dialogue or for deep philosophy on life and the surrounding world, you will love this movie. Even if you don't like subtitled movies, I will give my promise that you will like this.