City of God (Cidade de Deus)

Opening with one of the most memorable scenes ever filmed City of God twenty-one years ago seared itself into the minds of viewers and it hasn’t lost any of is potency. It remains a masterpiece and masterclass in filmmaking.

Based on the book by Paulo Lins, itself based on a true story, the City of God is a Rio ghetto. Directors Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund from a screenplay by Lins and Bráulio Mantovani use Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) to narrate the story.

Its an intricate tale of flashbacks and vignettes telling lives of the people in the favellas. The contrast of the endemic violence and criminality with those that want to try and study their way out of it but always being part of it.

There are numerous characters and situations that are both horrific and at times blackly humorous. None feel like it’s been tagged on; all have their place in the story which is in some respects is age old and can be traced back to the likes of Angels with Dirty Faces with childhood friends taking opposite paths into adulthood.

While not exactly friends Rocket and Li’l Dice (later Zé) (Leandro Firmino) know each other from the ghetto. Rocket after a pathetic attempt at criminality looks to pursue a career as a photographer. L’il Zé however from as soon as he could hold a gun wanted power and to kill. Which he does with glee. His ruthless rise to power cements the character as possibly one of the most profoundly evil ever portrayed on film. A psychopath and yet a tragically pathetic individual graphically depicted at Bené’s leaving party.

As the narrator Rocket is matter of fact about the brutality around him. He’s also not above making use of the ready availably of drugs to impress a girl. He fills in gaps in time, with vignettes such as the story of an apartment and how it relates to the story without looking like padding.

The surrounding characters are no mere filler. Bené (Phellipe Haagensen), the coolest man in the ghetto (and L’il Zé’s confidant) has a charm that sees him get the girl, a way out of the ghetto as well as the ire of his boss. The upstanding Knockout Ned (Seu Jorge) who sees the wastefulness of the situation but can’t help getting sucked in.

The dazzling camerawork has lost none of its power which combined with masterful editing has the film moving at a pace that doesn’t overwhelm the narrative or the characterisation, rather that kinetic energy enhances them.

And yet for all the bravado filmmaking and stylisation, the brutality of the ghetto is never lost. These are rags to riches hoodlums content to stay in rags so long as they have some money and power. It’s depressing, tragic life-cycle that appears to have no end.

City of God will be in UK cinemas from 23 February 2024.