Brazil 2002 - Crime/Drama/Thriller — 130 min — Directed by Fernando Meirelles
Cast: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen, Douglas Silva

Cidade de Deus (City of God) is a housing project built in the 1960’s that in the early 80’s became one of the most dangerous places in Rio de Janeiro. Seen through the eyes of Rocket, a poor black youth too frail and scared to become an outlaw but also to smart to be content with underpaid, menial jobs. He grows up in a very violent environment. The odds are all against him. But he soon discovers that he can see reality differently than others. His redemption is that he’s been given an artist’s point of view as a keen-eyed photographer.

This is not a movie for the weak-of-heart. It’s brutal, and show you how little value a life can really have, and probably still have in Rio’s slum. Even small kids have no problems murdering people in cold blood. This is one reason I will never set my foot in this festering shithole. As Ripley said; it should be nuked from orbit. When life is worth absolutely nothing, and the murderers don’t care one bit - something is wrong. Very wrong. This movie sure gets you thinking about that there really is such a place even today! The film is well done without being preachy at all. It just shows it like it is - brutal. I feel I need to digest this movie further. Right now I’m a bit out-of-breath from seeing it. What a life. Or rather, Hell on Earth.

My Rating: 6/10