City of God Film Difficulty Ranking: 2
“If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you”
Opening the film with a chicken chase, City of God is the most gripping history of drug-wars in the Rio de Janeiro favelas that anyone could hope for.
From: Brazil, South America
Watch: Trailer, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon, Netflix
Next: Elite Squad, El Infierno, Traffic
Why Watch City of God?
- For an alternative history of Rio de Janeiro before you head to Copacabana beach.
- To be entertained for 2 hours: I promise the tone will carry you through as if it was only 20 minutes long (the editing, framing, and cinematography compliments it perfectly).
- You are not scared by groups of small kids.
- You enjoyed Narcos on Netflix and you want more of the same.
The Breakdown
This is the story of Rocket and Lil’ Ze, two kids from a neglected slum outside of Rio who make it in the ‘City of God’ (Rio de Janeiro) in two completely different ways.
What’s beautiful about the narrative structure is that you’re plunged straight into the action with a chicken chase and the quote “if you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you.” (Remember this line when watching the movie!) From there, Rocket (the photographer) whizzes us back to his childhood in a neglected slum outside Rio, building up the foundations of the main story-line by telling us about his brother and his original gang before the move to Rio. The narrative hops back and forth a few times in the film, giving us an in-depth look into each of the characters presented in the film. In this movie, it works like a charm, building character development easily, without boring any of us!
In addition to the flashbacks and character focuses, the camera shots and editing throughout the film are perfectly complimentary to the film. Pay attention to the diverse range of camera angles used throughout the film which go hand in hand with Rocket’s photography career. As for the editing, the introduction cannot be beat. The cuts between the knife sharpening, the chicken trying to escape, the other chickens being plucked and boiled, and cut perfectly in sync with Brazilian rhythms is a sight to behold. If that intro does not have you captivated, you should choose another film, or maybe just forget films altogether, as films are not for you.
As for a history of the drug wars in Brazil, this one is also a perfect introduction. It details the intricacies of fighting for turf, building support, and working with cops, that would not seem out of place on your resume next to that business qualification. The formation of the distribution chains is also explained, as well as the backgrounds of the main dealers (using that flash back technique).
What to Watch Next
I strongly recommend watching Elite Squad next, another Brazilian drug film from the side of the elite police force tasked with keeping it in check (brutal). I also have plenty of Drug film recommendations for other countries as well: Traffic (U.S.), El Infierno (Mexico), Miss Bala (Mexico), and Drug War (China). Just make sure you don’t bother wasting 2 hours of your life watching The Counsellor. Great cast, great writing and directing credentials, but what an earth was that!?
For a complete list of drug war films check out 8 Drug War Films You Need to Watch.
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I could not resist commenting. Perfectly written!