City of God is based on a true story in the 60s in one of Rio’s favelas, or slums. The film revolves around two main characters, Lil Ze, a notorious drug dealer,  and Rocket, an aspiring photographer whose lives intersect all too often, despite Rocket’s attempt to stay out of trouble. The film is separated into chapters which depict the different stages of the boys’ lives in a crime-driven neighborhood.

To my surprise, most of the actors featured in this film have no prior acting experience which made the film feel all the more authentic and showing of the violence that occurs within the slums of Brazil, and other parts of the world. One of the scenes that resonated the most with me was when one of the ‘runts’, a group of children involved with crime, was caught by Lil Ze. Prior to this scene we see the same child stealing from a local store with other runts, enjoying his spree. The runts seem to see themselves as as adults and arguably act as such throughout the movie, however, in this moment the boy is depicted as what he truly is: a boy. When he is threatened and eventually shot, we see him cry and let out a high pitched squeal, bluntly reminding us that he is only a child. This scene, along with the first chapter of the movie, show us how inescapable crime is for these children. There is no other option. And for those who do seek to escape, it could just as easily cost them their lives. For example, Knockout Ned, a handsome young man who has gone to school, served in the military, and works modestly as a bus fair collector, is suddenly drawn into a viscous brawl with Lil Ze, by chance. After Lil Ze rapes his girlfriend and kills his brother, Knockout Ned is out for revenge which consumes the rest of his days until he is killed by one of his ‘soldiers’.

Crime and violence within these slums seems almost inevitable, especially since the law enforcement can be just as corrupt as the criminals themselves.

This movie has led me to do more research on the current situation of favelas in Brazil and what has been done since then. Although it can get a bit bloody, I highly recommend it. I’m sure it will also spark an interest for you.