Wonderful Story, Fantastic Style

Rating: 10/10 (15 December 2008)

When listing the world's great film industries it is inevitable that one will mention the United States, India, France, perhaps even Germany and Italy. One nation that is not often mentioned is Brazil, a shame considering films such as City of God. This story of aging and maturing, both of Rocket, the main character, and of the slum known as the City of God itself, is a true masterwork of film making.
City of God is without a doubt a thoroughly modern film in almost all aspects, but it also builds on a tradition much older than itself. The film was shot in an actual Rio de Janeiro slum using non-professional actors, some of whom actually grew up in the City of God itself. These characteristics are very reminiscent of the Italian Neo-Realist movement of the post war period who also used amateur actors and real locations to convey a strong sense of realism and truth through their films. In a way mirroring theirs City of God feels incredibly real, looks incredibly real, and thusly better conveys the story that it is trying to tell. This particular style is very well suited to the content of this film, as it is based on the true story of a drug war in the actual City of God slum, and so conveys an appropriate sense of realism.
The editing of City of God is of particular interest. It is jumpy, fast-paced, and travels rapidly between narrative threads. This technique achieves two ends. Firstly is adds a sense of urgency and movement to the film, perhaps playing up the aspect of a "life flashing before your eyes" flashback that the majority of the film seems to be composed of. The second affect of the techniques employed, along with the use of narration and titles, is to give the film the feeling of being told orally, complete with tangential references to things that will come later, and references to that which has come before.
Overall City of God is a great film that dives into a story of poverty, drugs, and desperation and never looks back.