City of God

Today I watched the Brazilian film 'City of God', directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, and it was absolutely amazing. It gave an honest look at the gripping story of gangs in the City of God, a slum outside of Rio de Janeiro. The opening scene perfectly captures the energetic atmosphere through the use of the recognisable Brazilian music as well as quick shots, both of these elements setting the scene and creating a fast paced, exhilarating and flamboyant setting. We explore the bustling streets of the slum as we follow Li'l Zé, the film's antagonist, and his gang that includes children as young as eight, guns in tow, as they attempt to catch a runaway chicken. This sequence adds a humorous element creating a very obvious contrast to the serious subject matter. The chase comes to an abrupt halt as we are introduced to the film's protagonist, Rocket, a photographer, who stands in the street, staring wide-eyed at the gang, at this moment, police arrive on the other side of the street and Rocket is caught between the two sides, both of which now have their guns drawn. Rocket provides a voiceover narration throughout the film as he explains his story, and the stories of those around him, even that of a single apartment's journey from family home to drug den. He addresses the audience directly, making it feel like a more personal experience and transports the viewer into Rocket's world. The film jumps through time quite often in order to provide background information about certain characters so that current events make more sense, the first example of this comes at the end of the chase sequence. The camera swirls around Rocket and we travel to the 1960s where we find him playing football as a child, this juxtaposes the built up setting in the present and the remote town of the past. The transition between the dull grey colours of the slum to the bright golden tones creates an interesting visual and really emphasises the changes that have occurred. There is also the obvious difference between the children shown in both times, whilst the children of the 60s play football, in present day they roam the streets with guns, growing up surrounded by violence. The opening scene sets up many of the ideas that are explored throughout the rest of the film and introduces the audience to two of the main characters, all while perfectly setting the tone of the film. I really enjoyed 'City of God', not only because of the enticing story but also because of the beautiful cinematography, I think it is definitely a must-see film.