Youth gangs took over the slums of Rio de Janiero during the 1960s and didn't relinquish their stronghold until the mid-1980s. Only a sucker wouldn't have turned to crime and this is exactly how naive teen Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) views himself. His attempts in illegal activity fail as he finds potential victims too friendly. Equally unsuccessful in love, he regularly fails to lose his virginity. Blood spills throughout the streets of the Ciudad de Deus as gang leader Li'l Ze (Leandro Firmino da Hora) is challenged by local druglords and a gang of pre-teens known as the Runts. Rocket shoots all of this action with his weapon of choice, a camera.

Director Fernando Meirelles combines visual flashiness with dark history in telling the story of three decades of unrest in underground Rio de Janiero. Technically flawless, the Brazilian film uses a rapid-cutting style to flash back and forth in time. Cinematographer Cesar Charlone shoots with an overexposed glow in a film that may seem numb to violence, but reveres photography. Director Meirelles was assisted by Katia Lund, a filmmaker who had previously shot in the Rio ghettos.

Rating: R (MPAA)

Rating Reason: sexual content, language, violence, drug use content

Runtime: 130 minutes

DVD Code: Region 1 US, CA

Genre: Foreign Films

Color: Color

Rating: DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Letterboxed Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound - Portuguese

Alexandre Rodrigues, Matheus Nachtergaele, Seu Jorge, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Gera Camilo, Renato de Souza, Karina Falcao, Graziela Moretto, Roberta Rodriguez Silvia

Katia Lund, Fernando Meirelles

Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Mauricio Andrade Ramos

"...CITY OF GOD conveys the authenticity of a cinema verite scrapbook..."
New York Times

"Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles manages a style simultaneously gritty and slick for CITY OF GOD....Even action fans averse to subtitles might do well to check this one out..."
USA Today

"...Meirelles is a world-class talent who illuminates every frame of this fresh, ferocious and indelibly moving film. CITY OF GOD has the scent of a classic..."
Rolling Stone

"...CITY OF GOD pulses with atmosphere and vibrates with authenticity..."
Entertainment Weekly

"...Uncompromising in its realism....Exhilarating movie-making....It's a remarkable achievement..."
Box Office

"...We're exhilarated by the sheer filmmaking brio on display here. Mereilles and Lund weave all the strands of the story together with breathtaking ease..."
Movieline's Hollywood Life

"CITY OF GOD is a potent and unexpected mixture of authenticity and flash..."
Los Angeles Times

"[A] stunning, powerful drama..."
Premiere