College students love this film

Rating: 10/10 (24 January 2012)

I have shown this film in my classes at Minnesota State University Mankato and offered it as an assignment and extra credit. Either way, it is perhaps the only film of the dozens I've shown that my predominantly Midwestern students have universally liked. For some — maybe even most — it may be the first non-English language film they're ever seen.
And for a bonus it is a great educational tool: Yes, it demonstrates vividly that great films are made outside of the U.S. Yes, the cinematographic and editing choices offer a cornucopia of styles. Yes, the music and soundtrack are not secondary but help drive the film in its relentless pace. Yes, the ensemble cast, many of whom are amateurs from the favelas where the film is set, bring each character to life with compelling definition.
Yes, the film exemplifies the classic three-act structure with hook, plot points, Shakespearian-style midpoint, climax and denouement. Yes, it sails thru its 130 minutes yet ends at just the right time. And all this in one film.
With an educational tool like CITY OF GOD, my job as a film professor becomes astonishingly easy.