Jesus...
Where to even begin talking about this movie?
What made this movie great, in my opinion, is the lack of a complete plot. Yes, it all weaves together in the end but that's because the story started at the end, so it had to eventually return there. But in between the two ends... there's no real continuity, there's no story being told, there's just... things happening. Just like in real life, there is no grand purpose or vision guiding events, there's only a continuous stream that flows connecting two endpoints but never the same and certainly without a moral. The violence was obscene and completely necessary; to not show it would have been cheating the events, the people who lived through them and the city itself.
On the surface this is a movie about war, and war is the subject for much of it. But deeper than that, this is a movie about the human condition in the midst of war. The way people change when confronted with constant, unending war. In many ways, this movie is a complement to 1984 by George Orwell. War destroys the human spirit; it makes us into animals. In 1984 humanity was tamed, just as the dogs and cats of today; in City of God, man became wild and hunted and killed each other with impunity and without regret. There's a famous saying that seems rather pertinent here: War does not determine who is right, war determines who is left. War determines who is last. While all the characters were beautifully acted, from the laughing of Li'l Ze to Rocket in fear of his life, to Benny, to Carrot, to Angelica (oh Angelica...) what was most impressive was the character of War. I believe that War was literally personified in the way the movie was shot. The harsh lighting, the still frames, the inability to see certain key parts of the movie clearly: all of these _are_ War. And he was done most beautifully of all; he was what pulled the movie together. This movie, shot in a different way would be a completely different movie, garnering completely different reactions. But to portray such a character and to do it so well is a marvel.
A complete marvel
and I can't wait to see this movie again because I know I'll get more out of it each time. I've only just scratched the surface of all there is to learn from the City of God.
3 down, 35 to go
1 comment:
This film caught me off guard. When the 2003 Academy Award nominations came out "City of God" grabbed some very big ones. I immediately wanted to see this film it came DVD. Man oh man was I blown away with the storytelling ability of director Fernando Meirelles.
He had such a ferociously clear vision of what he wanted to see. I agree with you in that the film really doesn't have much of a story. It is more of a character study or even a documentary if you will. We are shown a part of Brazil that has never been seen before and we see things that we shouldn't.
The lighting is amazing and I'm a sure the DP and gaffer were challenged on a number of occasions but boy it paid off. The film is an explosion of light, color, blood, and sweat.
There are so good choices that Meirelles makes in "City of God" I was very excited to see his next film "The Constant Gardener" when it was released a few years ago. Again, just like "City of God" I was blown away at the ability he as a director allows his audience to get caught up in these stories that involve fleshed out characters that resonate well after the viewing experience is over.
If you haven't seen "The Constant Gardener" I strongly recommend the film and if it's on your list that's even better. Also, Fernando Meirelles' new film "Blindness" is coming out in September. Go check out the trailer, it looks uniquely engaging.
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