Film: "City of God" (1996)

[Bob Pr.]

Our monthly "Great Films @ the Cathedral" series presented "City of God" (2002), color; language: Brazilian Portugese (English subtitles); 130 min. Rated "R" for violence, gutter language, drugs, & sex. It ranks #19 on IMDb's list of all-time 250 greatest films; the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes scores it 97% (# reviews positive/negative); Roger Ebert calls it "one of the best films you will ever see."

For most people, this will not be a comfortable film to see. BUT, it's a very worthwhile, important film because it gives a close view of the culture, the relationships, the expectations, of those living in poverty and the opportunities and outlooks of living in a culture dominated by drug dealing.

In this instance, the culture is in Brazil's so-called "City of God"--a slum area set aside especially for the poorest people who were herded in to an area outside Rio de Janero.

The narrative deals with the many in this area who become involved with drug dealing, rival gang warfare, and short life expectancies--as well as one, "Rocket", who transcends all odds to become a professional photographer. It's based on a true story.

For most people, this will NOT be comfortable to see (one person walked out midway).

YET, IMO, it's VERY deserving of its #19 rating and of wide viewing.

While it's an uncomfortable film to watch, it's very worthwhile.

It goes a long way into showing the culture, the experiences, the motivations & expectations, the relationships in those communities in, e.g., Mexico, Colombia, and everywhere that support the drug trade.

ETA: And currently there: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/11/wo...me&ref=general

ETA: Posting links to view NYTimes articles no longer works for non-members. So below is a quote from this article:

....For decades, City of God — whose brutal past was immortalized in a 2002 film — was one of the city’s most fearsome neighborhoods, so dangerous that even the police rarely dared to enter.

Those days seem long gone. Drug dealing remains, and in at least one area, outsiders can enter only with permission from local youths who patrol the streets.

Still, the men with the big guns are gone, or at least have been driven underground. And life is returning to the streets.

Children now play outside without fear of stray bullets. They skip rope and play table tennis with paddles made from floor tiles. Soccer matches, formerly violent affairs, have become more civil, with officers sometimes joining in the games.

But almost two years after the new police units first arrived, many residents in this community of 120,000 people still struggle to accept that the 315 police officers working 12-hour shifts around them are no longer the enemy. Others welcome the calm but distrust it, worrying that the police force — formally called “police pacification units” — will leave once the Olympics end....