Understanding Urban Violence in Brazil

Rating: 9/10 (12 September 2002)

It's common knowledge throughout the world that Brazil has a very serious problem of violence. The most outstanding example are the slums in Rio de Janeiro.
Most of the people are not in direct contact with this violence and have a hard time to understand its causes. This movie tries to shed some light on the issue, by creating almost a documentary about a famous slum in Rio. The main character of the movie is not a person, but rather the place itself: Cidade de Deus (City of God).
Beginning in the midst of the 60's, the story shows how a "popular" neighborhood, erected with the help of government financing, grows from a quiet spot to a Vietnamese War Scenario. The movie shows that the government was only interested in taking the poor people away from Rio's most beautiful postcards. The lack of social support, education and police transforms the place. And when there's no government present, there is no citizenship. When a society has no leaders, it creates its own. Gangs battle over this place to gain control and endup creating a country within a country.
Fabulous editing, in the best style of Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh, this movie represents the best of Brazilian cinema today. If you have a chance to watch a copy of it, don't loose it.