City of God [Cidade de Deus] 2002
Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund
The story each of us carries, is naked to the untrained eye. The wounds and scars that are seeped inside our pores hides it. The City of God, is gritty and harsh. It pushes the envelope and engulfs you in the mayhem holding onto a sliver of hope. It is horrifying and again real horror for those that live/lived it. Power resides on the one who holds all the cards. The trick is who? Who holds the power and that is for the day to decide. Who holds the throne in the Cidade de Deus? Is it the boy with the camera playing in the shadows hoping he can get by another day without him being another daily casualty? Is it one of the countless souls from the dusty trails of a poverty stricken city? Is it one of the top guys who gets by handing another addict their ray? Could it be the "runt" starting from ground zero serving as a joke with an unquenchable thirst for mayhem and notoriety?
This film has beautiful cinematography and a soul crushing story. I almost couldn't get past the metaphor moments in. Animal cruelty is brutal. If you can get past that the metaphor speaks for itself and you'll witness a powerful story. One etched with pain, blood, despair, and enough twist and turns to riddle you with it's story. It's brutal. It's harsh. It's based on a true story. It is something to witness as a reviewer and I understand now, why it is one of the 1001 Films You Must Watch Before You Die list. It is an experience you won't forget. It was disturbing but so is reality.
9/10
Photo Credits: Miramax, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, SPI International
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