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#61 - City of God
Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund, 2002
Centres on the criminal history of the titular Brazilian slum, from the bandits of the 1960s through to the drug trade of the 1970s and 1980s, as seen through the eyes of a pair of young boys - one is an amateur photographer on the edge of the underworld while the other is at the very heart of it.
Another film that ended up on my first Top 100 but I have somehow managed to not re-watch for about a decade - and even then this re-watch was of a version being shown on free-to-air television that cut out some of the most graphic acts of violence (most notably, the infamous "hand or foot" scene gets cut). Fortunately, the film remains strong in spite of that. The vivid and grainy cinematography combines with documentarian editing to craft a fast-paced depiction of the narrative that balances a variety of characters with their own distinct sub-plots that all explore various themes (Li'l Ze's childlike viciousness, Knockout Ned's well-intentioned venture into crime, Bene's attempt to leave the life, Rocket's being caught up in the life due to fate and circumstance, etc.), all played by amateurs to successfully enhance the film's realistic vibe. In spite of its strengths, I ultimately don't think City of God is that amazing a piece of cinema. I remember it fondly, but re-watching it now makes me think it's merely a great film that covers a lot of the usual crime tropes but aids them through the vibrant and colourful depiction of uncompromisingly harsh events. It's definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it before, though. At the very least, I think I owe it to myself to actually acquire a copy of my own.
Fernando Meirelles and Katia Lund, 2002
Centres on the criminal history of the titular Brazilian slum, from the bandits of the 1960s through to the drug trade of the 1970s and 1980s, as seen through the eyes of a pair of young boys - one is an amateur photographer on the edge of the underworld while the other is at the very heart of it.
Another film that ended up on my first Top 100 but I have somehow managed to not re-watch for about a decade - and even then this re-watch was of a version being shown on free-to-air television that cut out some of the most graphic acts of violence (most notably, the infamous "hand or foot" scene gets cut). Fortunately, the film remains strong in spite of that. The vivid and grainy cinematography combines with documentarian editing to craft a fast-paced depiction of the narrative that balances a variety of characters with their own distinct sub-plots that all explore various themes (Li'l Ze's childlike viciousness, Knockout Ned's well-intentioned venture into crime, Bene's attempt to leave the life, Rocket's being caught up in the life due to fate and circumstance, etc.), all played by amateurs to successfully enhance the film's realistic vibe. In spite of its strengths, I ultimately don't think City of God is that amazing a piece of cinema. I remember it fondly, but re-watching it now makes me think it's merely a great film that covers a lot of the usual crime tropes but aids them through the vibrant and colourful depiction of uncompromisingly harsh events. It's definitely worth watching if you haven't seen it before, though. At the very least, I think I owe it to myself to actually acquire a copy of my own.