Pocket-sized Movie Review: Cidade de Deus (’City of God’)

Posted by Mike Richard on January 15, 2008
Filed under: Brazil, Film, Rio de Janeiro, Sidelines

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Travel Movie: City of God

I’m growing a bit blasé in my old age about not needing to see new release movies the instant they premiere. That said, I just watched the five year old Cidade de Deus (”City of God”) over the weekend. It’s an absolute must-see. The story, the characters, the music, the cinematography … I felt like I needed a cigarette afterwards and I don’t even smoke.

Via Wikipedia:

Taking place over the course of over two decades, City of God tells the story of Cidade de Deus (Portuguese for City of God), a lower class quarter west of Rio de Janeiro. Told from the viewpoint of a boy named Rocket who grows up there as a fishmonger’s son, demonstrates the desperation and violence inherent in the slums. Based on a real story, the movie depicts drug abuse, violent crime, and a boy’s struggle to free himself from the slums’ grasp.

If you’ve already seen it, watch it again. If you haven’t, rent the DVD and make sure to check out the hour-long “News from a Personal War” documentary DVD extra. It’s fantastic.

This is the official movie trailer:

… but this clip better presents the fast pace, captivating camera work and driving soundtrack of the film:

Have you seen Cidade de Deus? What did you think of the film?

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Vagabondish editor, Mike Richard, lives in Rhode Island - a spit of land in the northeastern U.S. He is a professional web designer and travel junkie with an unhealthy addiction to backpacking, camping, hiking and seeing the world. He enjoys knit hats, small, declarative sentences and speaking in the third person.



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Comments

VelhoBias
January 19th, 2008
5:14 pm

If liked Cidade de Deus, i really recomend another movie: Tropa de Elite, the biggest brazilian blockbuster ever.

And it’s great to see brazilian culture being showed. Keep the good work.