Urban Living in the Movie City of God - Essay Example

? of God Introduction of God is a 2002 movie set in South America in Brazil with the director being Fernando Meirelles. An individual can easily realize relevance of the movie considering that it is adapted from a novel, with complementation with the real time events. The movie mainly concentrates on the life in the city presenting organized crime in the suburbs of the city, Rio de Janeiro. Consequently, it is easy to say that the main theme of the movie is crime in a city as it presents the violence existing between drug dealers. Considering the type of theme presented in the story, this article will use the movie to analyze various planning issues in the film like urban slum and physical environment, urban crime and youth gang, lack of social and economic mobility and the importance of Education. The movies is a perfect depiction of life in the urban slums since it presents many incidence which are slums-like. The movie presents various lifestyles that relates to the slums style of living, from how people relate to the type of business carried out. First, the movies shows that in the urban slums people usually do not have homesteads where they can enjoy their privacy. This is shown at the beginning of the movie when the gang chases after chicken which obviously was not there’s. The gang chasing the chicken, shows that no individual have privacy in the city instead they live in plots. This is a perfect description of the today’s urban slum life where individuals usually live in places they rent besides other individuals. Further, the movie also presents the real traits of individuals living in the slums. When the gang meets Rocket, he (Rocket) presents a strong feeling that the gang were likely to kill him. This is a vivid description for the lawlessness existing in the physical environment of the urban slums. Urban living asserts “the streets children come from broken or crowded where physical and sexual abuse are common place” (Urban Living, p. 281). People always stay in fear of being armed by others since there is inadequacy of government authority in the area. Rocket does not bother to call the police implying that they, people living in the urban, have put up with the lawlessness existing. This depiction of lawlessness also makes the movie to be relevant as it presents a real life in the urban slums with how the people are trying to life. Most of the governments always presents little support to the people living in the urban slums. Consequently, it is possible to conclude that the movie presents sarcasm to the governments who usually live far from the people in the slums. The theme of the movie can also be depicted in the taligne, “if you run, the beast catches; if you stay, the beast eats” (Netfix,2002). This taligne is a good interpretation of what is happening in the slums where individuals do not know the fate of what they are doing. In proper English, the taligen means that an individual there are both positive and negative consequences of doing something good or bad. They have to do it whether it is bad or good, since there is no authority to regulate the actions. Urban crimes and youth gang The plot of the movie comes out to be crime oriented, with presentation of the youth gangs, who an individual can depict as the ones controlling the whole city. The youth gang does what they feel like at any time, with the public having no objection but to accommodate them. From the beginning of the movie, the movie depicts a gang chasing after a chicken, which is obviously not theirs. Further, the gang also meets Rocket and the only thing coming in his mind is that they are likely to kill him. This depicts a region where crime is the talk of the day, with no action taken by the authorities. The people in the region live by the “law” set by the crime perpetrators. To show that the people live by crime, the movie depicts three thieves whom there is job is to loot the existing business while taking part of their loot to the people. This is enough indication that the people have come to adapt to the type of life presented by the city. They have no option but to protect the criminals, while the criminals split them part of their loot. Even though, the three thieves causes losses to the existing businesses, the public seems to being seeing this as normal. In any society, stealing is always regarded as immorality, but this movie presents a society in which the people do not take the action as illegal. The movie also depicts that crime is the art of the day, when it presents younger boys who would like to idolize the three thieves. This is enough indication that there was no proper economic activity that the children could look upon as a source of wealth; rather, they seem to be dependent on stealing. Further, the movie also presents an attempt by the trio who goes on to looting a supermarket while living Li’l Dice to be on the looks. This is an indication that the police had less work in the city, with no regular patrol. It is only after, Li’l Dice fires a shot that the police realizes there is something happening. The movie also presents a city whereby drug dealer run the whole town. The article notes that drug trafficking is the order of the day in these regions, “many cannot resist the temptation of cheap drugs to obliterate their hunger and cold” (Urban living, p.281). Li’l Dice, after retiring from the trio, goes on to establish a drug empire while outcompeting anyone in the business. Li’l Dice moves from the thieving to the next alternative option existing in the city which is drug dealing. This is enough show that the main activity in the city is crime. Importance of Education The movie gives a vivid description of urban slum life where there is little education going on. An individual can easily depict this considering the lifestyle that the youths are living. At the start of the movie there is presentation of three impoverished thieves who go on to loot businesses. This is an indication that there was no such thing as education going on in the city. When his two counterparts get killed the only option that Li’l Dice sees is being a drug dealer. This might mean that he had no educational skills that could allow him to seek for a job. The movie also depicts that crime is the art of the day, when it presents younger boys who would like to idolize the three thieves. The article asserts, “many of the young people live in and around the city sprawling public markets” implying that they are little concerned about education (Urban living, p. 289). Instead of the boys having bigger dreams such as being pilots of business persons, the boys only find ways of perfecting their ways in crime. The action of the children idolizing other thieves shows that there was no formal education to keep the children off from such activities. Lack of social and economic mobility The movies also depicts lack of social and economic mobility when it presents a society where people are divided on their takes on crime activities. While other individuals, especially the business owners are going through losses caused by the thieves, the other part of the society are enjoying the loots. This depicts a society where every individual have to care for their own lives without considering the effect of their actions on the third party. Further, the movie also depicts lack of social mobility when it depicts unending criminal activities in society. Instead of the society coming to an agreement of ending the existing crimes, they seem to be reluctant even though the actions have effects on the individuals. The movie presents several killings taking place with no efforts by the society to end the crimes. Conclusion The movie is an indication of the things taking place in the urban slums. It shows how the individuals in the slums always faces a hard life thereby calling on the government’s action. The movie presents all the themes that an individual may relate to a slum life including lack of social mobility, urban slum life, inadequate education and urban crime. Fernando Meireless uses this movie to show that the slums’ life is more complicated and there is need for some action by the government. The action of the children idolizing other thieves shows that there was no formal education to keep the children off from such activities. The movie also presents several killings taking place with no efforts by the society to end the crimes. I conclude that the “City of God” is great since it has the ability to attract a viewer to stay watching until the end. As Thomson states, “movies are closer to ads than to the novels…” the movie incorporates jokes and tricks which helps in making it attractive just like the other ads thereby helping the director to reach most of his intended audience (Thomson, 2011). Reference Thomson, David, (2011). When is a Movie Great. Harper’s Magazine. Urban Living. Latin American Children: Living on the Edge. City of God. Retrieved from: http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/City_of_God/60026106?locale=en-US Read More