City of God(Meirelles, 2002) - Research Paper Example

of God"(Meirelles’, 2002) Introduction of God by Fernando Meirelles is a sweeping tale that shows how crime negatively affects Rio de Janeiro’s poor population. It was screened at Cannes Film Festival 2002, but it is set in a Brazilian slum, City of God. In this slum killing is a means as well as an end of living (Meirelles 12). This film mainly concentrates on the activities of two rival gangs that control everything within the slums boarders. The narrator is Rocket (Alexander Rodrigues), though he does not qualify to be the main character, since he is not the main focus. He is a young boy who manages, in a way, to stay out of the gang, and yet he follows and knows everything that is happening in the gang. The main focus of this narrative is on Cabeleira, the founder of Tender Trio gang. Together with his best friend, (Philippe Haagensen) Bene, they become the lords of crime for over a decade. The death of Bene before his retirement makes Lil’Ze attempt to take his arc enemy, (Matheus Nachtergaele) Sandro Cenoura, for an outing. However, Sandro and another youngster called mane make an alliance, where they start fighting Lil’ Ze, in yet another gang war. Amateur photographer, (Aleixandre Rodrigues) Buscape, takes the brutal crime war pictures, making their story very popular (Meirelles 14). This narrative can be likened to slum dog who becomes a millionaire (Smith 21). In this narrative, a slum orphan faces brutal accusations after winning 20 million rupees, since people could not believe that a slum dweller could ever become a millionaire. Accused of being desperate and cheating in an attempt to prove that he was innocent, an orphan, eighteen years old, from Mumbai slums, he recalls his tumulus life when he was competing in India in an attempt to win twenty million rupees, in the movie, who wants to be a millionaire competition in Boyle’s Danny inspirational drama. These things are still silently happening everywhere in today’s slums all over the world and the question now is will it ever come to an end? Plot Summary In 1960s, City of God, a slum in Brazil was full of crime (violence, drugs and madder). Young children watched and learnt how to use guns by joining gangs for survival. Li’l Ze prospers and becomes the lord of the city. He causes fear and violence as he mercilessly wipes out gangs that are rivals. Bene, his best friend keeps him on sanity’s good side. Rocket has seen them get power for years but he does not want to engage himself in any part of it. However, he is constantly swept up by this madness and therefore takes all the pictures. Things are beyond control in the 1980s, between the only two remaining gangs. Two boys grow together in the same neighborhood but decide to take different life paths (Anonymous 2). The tale is told via Buscape’s eyes, young son of a poor fisherman who aspires to be a photographer in the future. The story tells about corruption and violence in the slum, and ups and downs of Li’l Ze. With increased street wars, Buscape tries to find a way to get out of this violent life by exposing the world’s brutality through his pictures. Movie Analysis/ Review Meirelles had the best intentions in mind when making his famous movie, City of God. Smith (36) says that there are two relevant things in a cinema that each film maker should serious focus on. These are other peoples’ reaction to the film and his intentions. The City of God is a masterpiece that brings the makers intentions (Salis 37). The director’s intentions should affect the audience at first sight, by trying to picture out what the director wants to achieve, and what the film will actually achieve at last. There is doubt that Meirelles’ had very positive intentions in this movie and the efforts and passion he puts into this movie is highly recommendable. Unfortunately, cinemas only judge the final results, which is of course when considering films’ lost fragments, and cut of greed among others. City of God is a full new ball game. The narrator secretly, but clearly follows the plans and activities of the gang without arising any suspicion from them. This narrator, though he happens to be the main character, is however not the central focus, making his role as the main character questionable. In this gang, there are no rules and those that exist are written by the gang, but they are later broken. The fact that many of the gang members are young boys is the most horrifying is the most horrifying point of this film. Unfortunately, these minors are the once who have either been abandoned or forgotten by their parents. They are left under the care of slum’s (Lord of the Flies), where everyone has owns a gun and is willing and ready to kill even the most innocent without mercy. This film portrays a powerful and great film but the decisions of its director, Fernando Meirelles, takes it in a bad direction (Smith 57). Shot in a cool, slick style upbeat music and fast editing, the aim of the film is to help the viewers put themselves in the shoes of these kids who are desperate but young, so that we can their world with their eyes, as our eyes cannot understand them and their world. However, Meirelles did not take into account the dangers that such a film could put in today’s youth who are desperate and might be tempted to do the same in order to win their daily bread. This film therefore ends up exchanging the viewers rational mindset with those that are irrational insensitive and detached. The violence becomes near entertaining because there is no meaning in death (Salis 42).Since they are our eyes, the whole thing becomes a game to us, as it is a game to them. Their circumstances’ horrors and deprivation of existence lacks emotional punch and urgency like they should, because the film’s main perspective is only from people who view this as a norm. Watching scene by scene of powerful events it is disturbing to know how easy it is for viewers to brush them off like nothing serious is happening. Clearly, those were not the director’s intentions but he has it to show results that can possibly come of it, because of stylistic liberties. Each chapter has a powerful beguiling and uncompromising deceptive momentum. What looks like innocuous changes to become very critical to the narrative such that they ruthlessly tie into the idea at hand? The living conditions that the movie projects are so horrendous that makes someone fear but the movie is a true homicidal entertainment. Meirelles stylistically depicts the slum epic in an expensive way, portraying child gang warfare that lasted for about three decades. Though the film has many problems, it cannot be completely dismissed. Even if it lacks emotional involvement and settling ability to sympathize with these kids, at least some poignant moments can be found, like Meirelles’ toning down the film and performances that are wonderful and flurry somehow hold it together. There are few tender sequences portrayed by a boy who is attempting to get a girl’s interest, who he likes, and a friend who frankly speaks to his partners in the gang, though this is something that looks like its happening for the first time. Wonderfully works and also reminds them how beautiful and good it could be, if only it was approached or done differently (Berardinelli 19). Finally, the City of God is a film that is recommended for viewing than anything else. It clearly depicts a world’s part that is still unseen by many people, especially the political and religious leaders, except those who have seen pixote. Unfortunately, the film is completely unaffecting, instead of being emotionally engaging. The name ‘City of God is ironical and cannot be lost in a viewers mind. Movie location, in Rio de Janeiro slum, is at its best times worst times, purgatory and hell. God cannot be found anywhere in this slum and poverty is their way of life. The streets are ruled by drugs, violence and greed. Violence is very pervasive, to an extent that children join the fray armed with guns incase of an eruption of a gang war. It is very sympathetic to understand those children, and the larger societies are more conversant with using guns than reading or writing. City of God is a true reflection of what was happening in Rio de Janeiro between 1960s and 1970s. This movie formed the basis for Paulo Lins’ novel. By understanding the source of the material from the first page, Meirelle craftily unique motion pictures and takes the viewer to the streets with immediacy and intensity that is unsurpassed. His fast cuts sequential hand held cameras and visual potency ripens his style (Berardinelli, 24). Sequences of 60s are viewed via a brown/orange filter, while those of 70s are viewed over slightly distorted colors. A scene that is most memorable in the one is that of a murder that is strobe lighted making everything appear to be occurring in a slow motion jerky. The story is a tale of Lil Ze’s ups and downs as a fearsome gang leader, who reined as drugs lord king in1970s. The first movie potion shows the factors that lead him into this kind of life while the second part illustrates his ruthless search for power, by killing his rivals, and then the war against opposing gangsters like Knockout Ned (Deu Jorge) and Carrot (Matheus Nachtergaele). Rocket narrates the story in a non linear way and chronologically relates the story, though he stops often to present important information about a situation or character. Meirelles approach, not permitting tangents to neither go far nor astray, resembles that of Tom Tykwer’s characters snapshot in Run Lola Run which translates into scanning certain events in quick clips and define an individual before you move on (Berardinelli 65). City of God has extreme and shocking violence, even if there is no blood. This is because the killers and their victims are too young. They kill and are also killed, just like adults. In this slum, death does not respect age as the goal of a seven year old boy is to get a gun, but not a friend or family. Declaration of war between Knockout Ned and Li’l Ze makes children to quickly declare their allegiance in order to get weapons for killing. Meirelles unearths subject matter of serious nature that happens among the poor slum dwellers. For instance, one vignette finds out the failed attempt by Rocket to be a criminal. He quits a thief’s life because his victims are always cool. The main message of this movie is that violence begets violence culture only changes the name. Deposing one gang makes another one rise, and children are the once to be watched than adults. Conclusion Set in Rio de Janeiro slum, City of God portrays a lawless society, Rocket, an aspiring photographer searches for freedom from violence forever, by narrating this true story that happens in the slum. The movie chronicles the life of Rocket as he deals with his brother and his gang, which is law bending up to his teen age. As an aspiring photographer, he takes picture that he later uses to expose what is happening in the slum, in order to help himself out. The movie is a clear reflection of what is happening in today’s society, especially in the slums. The crime rate, characterized by drugs, violence and murder, that is fast growing silently, beneath the eyes of the law. This slum life makes the poor innocent children to adapt this lifestyle in order to survive, and win their daily bread. However, they see nothing wrong about it and prefer engaging themselves in crime activities than education. Therefore, these scenarios are not likely to end any soon, as they have formed some kind of a vicious cycle among slum dwellers. References Anonymous. City of God (2002): Plot Summary. Retrieved on 12th May, 2011 from http://www.starpulse.com/Movies/City_of_God/Summary/ Berardinelli, James. City of God Film Review. Antonio; Miramax Films. 2003. Meirelles, Fernando. City of God. Brazil; Miramax Films, 2002. Salis, Andrew. Cidade de Deus (City of God Review). New York; New York Publishers, (2002) Smith, Derek. Cinematic Reflections: A Site Dedicated to Film Appreciation. Chicago; Chicago Press, 2003. Read More