City of God 2002

type: Movie

language: Portuguese

duration: 128 min

genre: crime

theme: coming-of-age

director: Fernando Meirelles

Score: 9 / 10

City of God is a 2002 Brazilian epic crime film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund. The screenplay, written by Bráulio Mantovani, is adapted from the 1997 novel by Paulo Lins, though the plot is also loosely based on real events. The film portrays the rise of organized crime in the Cidade de Deus suburb of Rio de Janeiro between the late 1960s and early 1980s, culminating in a war between drug dealer Li'l Zé and vigilante-turned-criminal Knockout Ned. Its tagline is, "If you run, the beast catches you; if you stay, the beast eats you."

Plot

The film opens in medias res in the 1980s within the titular Rio de Janeiro favela. A gang led by the ruthless drug lord Li'l Zé chases a runaway chicken. The bird halts between the gang and the film’s narrator, Rocket (Buscapé), a young aspiring photographer. This tense standoff frames the nonlinear narrative, which chronicles the favela’s descent into violence over two decades.

Cast

More details

author	Bráulio Mantovani
contentLocation	Cidade de Deus Rio de Janeiro
director	Fernando Meirelles Kátia Lund
editor	Daniel Rezende
events	drug-related crime favela Goal pursuit violence
genre	crime drama
keywords	assassination attempt bank robbery betray cycle of violence draw drug den drug lord escape plan gang war housing project in medias res kill lose murder older brother open police arrest police corruption police shootout police standoff steal
musicBy	Antonio Pinto Ed Côrtes
nomination	Academy Award for Best Cinematography Academy Award for Best Director Academy Award for Best Film Editing Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay European Film Award for Best Non-European Film International Submission to the Academy Awards
producer	Andrea Barata Ribeiro Mauricio Andrade Ramos
productionCompany	Globo Filmes Hank Levine Film O2 Filmes Studio Canal VideoFilmes Wild Bunch
publisher	Lumière
recordedAt	Rio de Janeiro
theme	coming-of-age gangster hood narrative teen drama