MUBI

Entering the cold blooded hearts of the Brazilian Gangs, from their self indulgence blood thirst, to the extreme examination of the wounded human soul and it’s debate of conscience, if there is such a thing as a conscience in a constructed parallel world of none moral and ethics. Bullets command this social code of violence, to hell with Law and Order, if some one wants to rape your sister, so be it. If you wanted to kill for vengeance, so it shall be. Any age is good to blow anyone’s ass, the sooner the better. Psychologically, you are better carved when violence enters early in your life, this way any kid can dissociate the moral trauma that means killing for the sake of killing, into a solid state of insensibility as a bliss, these means: a kill adds more bricks to the mind wall that protects the conscience from being torn apart by the horror. The kid only gets more fit to be and function into this world.
Co-directed by Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund, City of God is Hyperrealisms at its best, frantic and Killer, solid and breathtaking, stylished in a collage of video-frenetic images of roughness and anarchy, the ensemble is made by one rule: DOMINATION (RULE THEM ALL). Narrated by an almost miraculous survivor, Rocket moves over a tapestry of Bloodshed and none sense malignant activity as addictive as compulsive masturbation, compelling the simple guilty pleasures of money easy and business murder. God is anywhere but here, and sure as hell no Politician gives a FUCK, about this forsaken souls, because: THEY DON’T MATTER! WE ARE AFRAID OF THEM TOO, YOU AND ME DEAR AVERAGE JOE. Have you ever help some one like them? Of course NOT! And no one would blame you. These kids, these are so disgusting to us as a venereal infection.
Brazil! Any one you ask about this country would say something like this: Rio, Carnaval, Bikini, Party, all in one tropical Paradise, but with films like City of God, Central Station, Pixote, and others, it seems Paradise has a night half. Rio de Janeiro, one of its sides is spine chilling, the other it’s so sexy, you can barely hold your pants. And it is here when objectivity has to follow through, cause Brazil is not a Hell on earth, but just like any other country in the world, street crime, poverty, delinquent habits, and hopelessness is present very much to our own denial, social intervention has to acknowledge this truth, alleviate this conditions is much to ask to any government in much occupation of its own welfare. Democracy doesn’t means equality and support towards the ones who really need it. Don’t ask what you can do for your country; ask what your country can do for you? Either way, it doesn’t pay for the people.
The script is foretold in a deep harsh cinematographic exposure that moves continuously towards an uncertain daring view of the Latin-American Ghettos, the magnificent co-direction is brave and personal with a carefully constructed personality that gives the enormous cast an appealing and a follow through that simply doesn’t let the eye turn around, you are caught since the beginning, it’s a save sit. Meirelles and Lund perfectly blended the story and emotions with a solid perspective truth to the real events (tribute to the fallen ones, good, bad or ugly: to many to mention). The value of City of God consists of its manifest of exposure; THE OVERWHELMIG TRUTH, WE HATE TO ACKNOWLEDGE. To me, is a grim as any mayor War.
Exact and accurate editing, magnificent photography, Music that fit and adds more suspense to the images, and a cast of first time actors that brings an authenticity very hard to find these days, an absolute Triumph. Brazilian filmmakers can held their heads high with such great cinematographic jewels. Keep up the good Work!