City of God (R, 2003)

City of God, the favela (squatter settlement) for which the movie is named, is one of Rio de Janeiro's most notorious slums. Our narrator is a young boy named Rocket who leads us from the late '60's, when the favela is orderly rows of pre-fab housing for the poverty-stricken, into the early '80's when it has become a warren of bleak apartment blocks that residents can't escape. As young Rocket (Luis Otavio, as a boy, Alexandre Rodrigues, as a teen) watches, the favela dissolves into conditions conducive to crime, the rule of the gun, and, eventually, full-blown turf war. The young favela sports such low grade hoods as the "Tender Trio," comprising Rocket's older brother, Goose (Renato de Souza), Clipper (Jefechander Suplino) and idea-man Shaggy (Jonathan Haagensen). The Trio's antics do not extend beyond stealing fuel from trucks and, after a robbery goes awry, one boy turns to the church while another is taken firmly in hand by his father. But they are replaced by the malevolent Lil' Dic (Douglas Silva, as a boy, Leandro Firmino da Hora, as a teen) and his side-kick, the forgiving Benny (Phellipe Haagensen). When Lil' Dic decides to take control, a series of small scale coups escalate into turf war with Carrot (Matheus Nachtergaele) and "good" man turned vigilante, Knockout Ned (Seu Jorge).

Brazil's nomination for Oscar consideration, Cidade de Deus (City of God) is a blood-spattered, non-stop ride as much into the life of a "favela" as it is into the lives of the youths who inhabit it. Although the bulk of the movie narrates the all-out turf wars between two rival drug dealers, the story is deliberately told with the energy, liveliness and digressions of a child's tale, somehow managing to leave us hope amongst the corpses as the credits roll.

It is Rocket, who dreams of becoming a photographer, who leads us through a world which no outsiders dare enter. The other inhabitants may be living their own quiet lives, however Rocket is on the periphery of the action and lives through the turf wars in a deeply personal way. From his first crush to his first camera, Rocket shares experiences both touching and humorous as well as his losses.

Studio: Miramax
Director: Fernando Meirelles, Katia Lund
Cast: Alexandre Rodrigues, Matheus Nachtergaele, Seu Jorge
Genre: Drama
Run time: 130 minutes
Theatrical release: January 17, 2003
DVD release: June 7, 2004
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: strong brutal violence, sexuality, drug content and language