There are films that capture the zeitgeist perfectly; there are films that give a peek at, if not warning of, the world to come. City of God does both with aplomb. With it’s dizzying pace, fast edits, handheld camera, quick-shift changes in point of view, and obvious nods to Tarantino, the film is clearly rooted in both the tone and tempo of late 20th/early 21st century American filmmaking. At its core, it is about the devolution of a Brazilian housing project that is tracked from its relatively idyllic 60s to 80s destination as a violent, poverty-ridden domain where each successive generation becomes less connected to the human traits of empathy, conscience, and hope. It is in which a generation of almost feral homeless kids take over the projects, that makes the movie’s point crystal clear.