City of God (Cidade de Deus)

 

City of God (Cidade de Deus)

Director : Sergio Lenio

Casts :  Alexandre Rodrigues, Alice Braga, Leandro Firmino

Year : 2002

Origin : Brazilia

Cidade de Deus is another Oscar nominated movie for the best director, cinematography, adapted screenplay,and best film editing.This movie is adapted from novel with same title, City of God. 

City of God is filming the real life of slum area in Cidade de deus, Brazil. Started with introductions to the Tender Trio, the strongest gangster in ghetto. One of member of Tender Trio is older brother of Rocket, the narrator from this movie.

Buscape a.k.a Rocket

First the Tender Trio is robbing a gas truck which entering to ghetto but they didn't gain much money. With the suggest of Lil Z- a little child, they decide to leveled up by robbing a hotel. 

The Trio Tender went to hotel, armed and assign lil Z to guarding from the outside of the hotel. Alarmed them when cop closing by.

During their rob, lil Z gave them signal to get out from hotel, but it is not the police whom coming, another robber, and they decided to kill each of hotel customer and hotel empolyees.

Running away, leaving little Z behind, tender Trio stole a car and drive away back to the ghetto. But none of them capable to drive. They ended up by hitting a cafe in ghetto and then runaway to the forest. In instance, the police is coming  but none of citizens is want to speak up. They sealed their lips and say know nothing to the police, as always. 

Li'l Dice and his best fiend, Benny come to Shaman

Ten years later, in 1970,  they grown up and died. The tender trio is died not long from their hiding. The most shocking part is that Rocket's brother is being killed by the lil Z. Yes, little Z is alive and he is dangerous. In fact, the killer of Hotel tragedy 10 years ago is little Z. Now, little Z is the most dangerous man in ghetto, he is cold blooded and killer. He decided to change his name into Li'l Dice. He wants to be the single ruler in the ghetto so he come to shaman and wishes to be the stongest man in City of God.

Li'l Dice realize that by robbing and stealing, he won't instantly richer so he decided to be a drug dealer. With his determination, rudeness and cruelty, accompanied by his friend, Benny, instantly Li'l Dice become the biggest drug dealer in the City of God. Every drug dealer he met is getting killed by his gangster, exclude one person, Carrot. Carrot is Benny friend, and Benny tried his best to protect Carrot from being killed. 

Li'l Dice

Every one in City of God is terrified to li'l Dice..and soon every youngster is addicted to cocaine. Li'l Dice is invincible, only by the heart of Benny, Carrot managed to alive. 

But the presence of Li'l Dice make the city is free from robbery. Every body who wants to be save from robbery can ask for Li'l Dice protection and give him some money. If robbery happen, Li'l Dice will come with his armed man give the robber a lesson including shoot death goup of child under age.

Rocket with the camera he loved

Rocket tries his best to live different from children in his ghetto. He went to school and meet Angelica, his first love. He also tried to work in supermarket in the city but soon get fired because the manager suspect him cooperation with robbers from his ghetto. It makes him tired living honestly, he tried to flirt with badness and then failed. The only passion he has is being a photographer but turns out his passion lead him in unexpected life.

Benny, li'l Dice bestfriend is falling in love with Angelica,Rocket's crush. One night, Benny tried to present Rocket a camera but that made li'l dice get mad. Accidentally, in the crowd, they fight and Benny get shot by one of Carrot's man and died. 

The coolest gangsta is died that made Carrot terrified. Li'l Dice want to revenge his best friend died.

Li'l Dice is coldblooded, he never had a girlfriend, and never feel love. Once he like a girl but the girl already has a boyfriend. That drive him went nut. He raped the girl in front of her boyfriend, and killed the girl. The boy is Knock Out Ned.

On the way to revenge Benny's die, suddenly Li'l Dice realized that he should kill Knock Out Ned so he went to Ned house and massacre his household. Ned's brother and uncle is die.

The Gangster war soon is become an open war. Ned join with Carrot to revenge to Li'l Dice. The City of God is also divided. Anyone easily become of gangster member of both only to get a gun. Li'l Dice tried his best to procuring best weapon, Carrot tried his best to gain money by robbing and finally to buy weapon. Journalists and police are get itched with this war.

Well, the rest of story is become the climax of this movie. The gangster war and of course the role of Rocket as photographer that finally found out the truth.

Moreover, Cidade de Deus is my first Brazilian movie I ever watch. It is great and brutal, and I can't even believe this is a real story. I am so sad if there is community live in the earth that do brutally thing and consider human soul as nothing. It is worse living than Slumdog Millionaire.

The main actor of Rocket is a boy whom grown up in that slum area, including the gangster boys. The acting isn't acting. It is real and undoubtedly true. There is no (very) sentimental moment in this movie, just brutal and brutal but somehow it tickle my humanity. I am so darn sad how could they be so mean?

This movie is great. just great. Very humanist but somehow different. I can't describe how different. Really worth to watch! 

Li'l Dice Gang asked ROcket to photographed them