User Reviews

一部結構巧妙的魔幻現實主義佳作。全片就是一部巴西近代史，也是一部完全的暴力史。最後的彩蛋證明全片居然是真實事件改編，真是意想不到的黑暗。駭人聽聞的低齡犯罪，槍支和毒品成為貧民窟兒童的娛樂。帥奈德的故事展現了普通守法公民是如何與幫派同化的。主角阿炮的攝影夢在被上帝遺棄之城顯得那麼的獨特，可即便如此也沒能將原有的圈子掙脫，還是靠鋌而走險與罪犯接觸、消費自己的出身過活。影片通過分段敘事，用畫外音和一個線索人物從客觀角度見證全片發展，致於全片跨度極大卻毫不雜亂。劇本紮實，不乏些小反轉和伏線千里的伏筆，環狀敘事，一個沒有結局的故事，暴力在這樣的社會滋生，也將永遠傳承。在兩個小時的手持狂躁後，鏡頭終於平靜下來，默默注視著下一代暴力的延續。既是名副其實的「巴西往事」，又是萬劫不復的「上帝之城」。

Ciudad de Dios es una película que no busca suavizar nada. Desde sus primeros minutos deja claro que su intención es mostrar una realidad dura, marcada por la violencia, la pobreza y la lucha por sobrevivir en un entorno donde las oportunidades son casi **** de sus mayores aciertos es la forma en que está narrada. Con un ritmo ágil y una estructura que va y viene en el tiempo, logra mantener al espectador completamente enganchado mientras desarrolla a sus personajes. Cada historia suma a un retrato más amplio de la vida en ese contexto.Como dato curioso, muchos de los actores no eran profesionales y provenían de entornos similares a los que retrata la película, lo que aporta una autenticidad brutal a las **** una película impactante, incómoda y muy bien construida, que deja una huella difícil de ignorar.

Filme incrível. É uma mistura de realismo, brutalidade e brasilidade, ao mesmo tempo que a história é contada numa estrutura narrativa não-cronológica impecável e desenvolve vários personagens. O filme aborda tantas questões de forma natural, a brutalidade nas favelas, a corrupção dos policias, como quem é honesto parece que é otário no Brasil, guerra de gangues, como menores são captados para o tráfico de drogas, vingança, violencia domestica, impunidade, etc. O filme conta como Zé Pequeno que é um criminoso desde criança virou o dono da favela, sendo extremamente brutal e matando todos no seu caminho. Ele acaba entrando numa guerra de gangues com outro traficante e no final do filme, acaba sendo morto por garotos por vingança pq mataram o amigo deles. E essa é só uma das camadas, pq quem narra tudo isso é o Buscapé, o protagonista que vira reporter e o final é sensacional porque o Buscapé registrou toda cena final dos policias sendo subornados pra liberar o Zé Pequeno e depois os garotos atirando nele mas ele preferiu não mostrar essa fotos com medo de represalias dos policiais corruptos ou dos garotos, apenas a foto do Zé baleado igual queijo-suiço.

Muito bom. Pnemoultramicroscopicosilicovulcanoconioticopneumoultramicrocopicosilicovulcanoconiotico

Un film tout à fait édifiant sur les habitants, et notamment les **** truands des favelas au Brésil qui oscillent au gré du vent entre guerres de gangs et règlements de compte entre trafiquants de drogue particulièrement dégénérés… C’est une sorte de Scarface décadent en somme avec (évidemment) nettement moins de moyens mais tout de même !Le scénar est bien maîtrisé -hormis bien sûr quelques détails ici et là qui font volontiers tiquer- et les personnages pour la plupart détraqués font penser à une tarantinade de derrière les **** mais en nettement moins débile (heureusement), car l’on sait que les tarantineries éventées sont surtout des grosses conneries encensées par les bobos à côté de leurs pompes. L’on suit donc entre autres surtout le témoin de cette misère (et cette violence omniprésente du trafic) qui nous raconte via sa voix off de loin en loin comment il tente de ne pas finir comme un trafiquant de came ou un simple camé accroché à la poudre… Il y a pas mal d’ironie là-dedans mais également certains excès ou provocations et un côté documentaire un peu trop appuyé. On déplore aussi, surtout dans le dernier tiers, une tendance fort désagréable à tout filmer à l’épaule ! et de fait, à bouger la caméra dans tous les sens… et c’est bien dommage. Néanmoins, l’impact de cette histoire de sauvages qui jouent du flingue pour un oui ou pour un non (et même les mômes s’y mettent, si, si) reste toujours d’actualité et ô combien saisissant. Et très alarmant aussi… car en France, ça devient comme ça et c’est de pire en pire puisqu’on ne fait rien ! on attend d’ailleurs toujours le coup de karcher promis…

The best Brazilian film ever made, better than Tropa de Elite 1 and 2, Better than City of Men, Alto da Compadecida, Carandiru, and among other films from the Brazilian Elite, and better than many from the Hollywood Elite.

A hauntingly real dive into Rio's seedy side, exploring the turf wars and drug scene of the city's worst neighborhood during the culture-rich 1970s. Beginning with an uncomfortably close look at their hopeless childhood living conditions, we see how, for many of these kids, guns and violence are literally their only chance at getting a leg up on life. Not that they're all sympathetic victims, either: some people are just born bad. Most of them, actually, seem to prefer a short career of quick gains and tragic ends. Why slave away for fifty years, selling fish out of a rickety old cart like your parents, when you can just live fast and die young? Take the eventual warlord Li'l Dice/Li'l Z for example: a malicious orphan who discards his older friends' warnings and cuts a violent swath through the city, thugs and innocents alike, before he's old enough to shave. His brand of me-first barbarism spreads through the community like a plague, spawning countless imitators while earning fear and respect in equal measures. Even the kids who try to make good, like the conflicted narrating photographer named Rocket, dip their fingers into that drug-riddled honey jar when life gets tough. It's inescapable and, for a while, it all works out. The gangs enforce their own rules, a strict code that effectively eliminates random crime and establishes a sense of normalcy for the unconnected population. It can't last forever, and it doesn't (there's an intense, if fleeting, power vacuum after the two bigwigs finally settle their score), but for a time that senseless chaos somehow produces its own twisted sense of order. Cruel and unflinching, with an appropriately frantic visual character, City of God swings with power. It'll touch you and hurt you, attract and repulse, and ultimately stick in your gut for days.

Very cool. I didn't expect it to be that good. There was a lot going on. Nourishing 2 hours of proper crime fiction. Especially from the second half onwards. I enjoyed it. I really liked that the film wasn't afraid to be more brutal. That's what gave it its edge. It grabbed me. The first half was kind of calmer and a lot of story and then it was pretty good action at times. I thought it was a blast. For fans of the crime genre, it's probably great. The character stories and the action are really cool. The soundtrack didn't really impress me personally, but that's just a quibble because otherwise the rating would have been even higher, but it was still really great. It's even improved by the fact that it's supposedly based on some real events.

Great movie. The story is decent. The scoring is great, visual is really amazing, the voice & sound is also amazing

A gritty movie. Beautifully done, and, as it seems with so many films about brazils less than glamorous underbelly, it captivates the attention with the excitement and vibrant story telling. An awesome movie, which flows from challenge to challenge, with each solution bringing further development in the plot seamlessly.

Found this gripping and engaging start to finish. Lil' Dice/Z Had a chance to go into the pantheon of villains but fell off somewhat towards the later half. A rough and brutal breakdown.

Such an amazing film that deserves the accolades and acclaimed hype it's garnered. One of the best foreign language films there is and one of the best films personally seen recently, after a long time of being on my to see list but taking a while to get round to it due to being so busy and going through a difficult phase. Perhaps 'City of God' is not for everybody. It is not some audience members' idea of being entertaining, and is pretty unflinching, uncompromising and challenges the viewer. It does, with that being said, a superlative job bringing those qualities to life, and there are others, including myself, who judge films by what they set out to do rather than just wanting to be "entertained". There are many hugely entertaining films, while there are others that are clearly intended to be things other than entertainment and either are deep character studies, deliberate mood pieces and poignant dramas and shouldn't be denounced because of stereotypical views of what a film should be like. 'City of God' is very well made, with some stunning and hard-hitting images, even if the budget is not high or enormous. It's all audaciously shot and edited with a lot of gritty atmosphere and sense of tension. The music fits well and has some haunting moments without being intrusive, while Fernando Meirelles's direction, particularly in the visual style, is superb. The story is not hard to follow, with lots of provoking thought, tension and emotion, while the action is positively explosive, frighteningly brutal and designed with a real meticulousness. In no way either does it glamorise crime and gives an unflinching view of gangland rivalry, provoking comparisons to Martin Scorsese and 'Goodfellas'. Alexandre Rodrigues and Leandro Firmino da Hora are fabulous in their roles and carry the film and their compellingly real characters adeptly. Overall, a masterwork. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Com certeza um dos melhores filmes brasileiros que eu já vi uma obra prima do cinema retratando a violência no Brasil.

One of the 10 greatest movies of all time. Note: brazilian movies should be watched with original audio.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

The best Brazilian film together with elite troops, how did it not win an Oscar? I do not know

Violent and realistic. It achieves to portray a tragic reality without soften it up unnecessarily (which usually happens), showing all its rawness. Mindblowing directing and editing.

breathtaking and terrifying, urgently involved with its characters, the film has been compared with "goodfellas," and it deserves the comparison... highly recommend...

A classic. An enthralling, smart, powerful & disturbing movie on the slums of Rio. Must see and one of the best movies of 2003.

Uma das maiores obras cinematográficas da história, não somente daqui. Cada aspecto cru ao seu extremo. Favorito.

Great story. You don't realize how much the character's lives intertwine until a rewatch, which you'll likely be more than happy to do. Totally unique movie. Also great music.

Beautiful cinematography, excellent plot, characters and soundtrack, my favorite brazilian movie so far, one of the best movies of 2000's.

I am upset with myself for having not watched this gem of a film sooner, despite being on my watchlist for many years. This film deserves much more recognition and appreciation than it gets, as it does everything so well. The visual style is remarkable, the storytelling is powerful, the narrative is captivating, and the acting is very believable. I was thoroughly and consistently entertained. If there's anything that this movie falls short on, it's simply that the storytelling mechanics of jumping from character to character do not allow for the viewer to connect as deeply as they might with a standard film protagonist. However, I think that what was lost in that regard was made up for in the mechanism's ability to show the more complete and intertwined narrative that this film captures. Overall, a wonderful film that's certainly going among my favorites.

Retrata muy bien la vida de un brasileño, yo viví en las favelas durante mi niñe y nos violaban en las calles con un palo de guayabo

Uma obra de arte incrível. Um roteiro perspicaz e ácido que unido com uma direção elegante e criativa, conta uma história pesada de forma brilhante.

One of the best foreign films I have seen. This style of directing was spectacular and the raw acting was perfect!!

Transgessor. Daring. Violent. Exciting. It shows with authenticity the life of the inhabitants of the favelas of Rio de Janeiro. With a masterful performance by Leandro Firmino da Hora (curiously, an inexperienced actor at the time), besides the good performances of singer Jorge, Alexandre Rodrigues (protagonist of the film), Matheus Nachtergaele, Alice Braga (now known internationally), among others , and also a great script, able to tell several stories in a short time, without making mistakes in the development of any plot ... This is the Brazilian cinema. And this is the naked truth of many cities in the country, which, although it has many political and social problems, proves that it is not artistically limited as many Brazilians and foreigners think.

My score 100 Metascore / User score 79 / 90 Tomatometer / Audience score 91 / 97 IMDB 86 (90.5)

Superb editing, and Fernando Meirelles splashy direction made this movie visually stunning, and this was necessary. Because without being so, City of God wouldn't have been the easiest hard-to-watch movie to be watched! I know that sounds weird, but I'm not kidding this movie is so disturbing and shocking, but its vibrant visual style made it impossible to look away from. Like the visuals and colors, the soundtrack is so vivid and dynamic to mirror the vicious cycle of violence in the eponymous city, and the slums of Rio de Janiero. That being said, City of God's exhilarating visuals and soundtrack aren't the only, nor even the main two reasons that made it unbelievably engrossing. As what really dazzled me the most this masterpiece is its narrative control. Considering the fact that this movie has this abundance of characters, which all of them are almost equally important, and a non-linear storytelling, it's beyond belief that I haven't felt lost even for a moment. Instead, I found myself caring for each of the main characters for equal measure. Every time our protagonist, Rocket mentions one of the new important characters while narrating the story, I start getting worried a bit because I think this would harm the narrative thread of the story, and make it lose its balance a bit. But every time I ended up being totally wrong till I eventually said to myself: "More characters, please!" By the way, the use of voice-over narration in this movie is exceptional! Every single character is as grounded as its compelling and throughly interesting. And they are brought to life by some of the most authentic, honest, and uncompromising performances I've ever seen in film. All the non-pros actors delivered downright terrific performances that I really can't single hand one of them. The only issue I've with City of God is its first fast-paced 20 minutes. Putting aside the magnificent opening scene, everything in the rest of the first fifty to twenty minutes happens very quickly that kept me from being engaged from the start. Powerful, visceral, uncompromising, yet honest, Cidade de Deus is a Latin masterpiece, and easily one of the this century's best movies, so far. I really regret not seeing it till recently, it's a MUST-SEE! (9/10)

A theme over approached in Brazilian's theater? For sure,but what matters is the movie is fine. Drama,tension,action and shocking are very well used. Moral of that story is clear, crime doesn't compensates.

City of God is a jaw-dropping examination of the human condition. Amazingly well shot, well written, and well acted, this movie is a masterpiece. This came out in 2003, and is still surprisingly timeless and relevant. This needs to be a must-see movie, especially if you are a fellow cinephile!

City Of God is a brutal cinematic experience that does a fantastic job of immersing the audience member into the film with its outstanding direction and spectacular character performances to deliver a masterful crime epic.

The movie is a march in the history of brazilian cinema. With a history that flows naturally, marked by an excellent cinematography and an editing that put you in the middle of the life of the residents of City of God, this movie is at the sime time heart touching and suffocating. The director Fernando Meirelles does a really good job by leaving us fell like if we were into the situations of the movie and the actors are incredibly natural. For me the best brazilian movie of all times.

An extraordinary film that overpowered me and left me wanting more. Watch it online for free: ****/watch-393-City-of-God-online-free

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

A very important movie! This one pretend to show to audience the reality in the streets of Brazil. And behind the criminals are people with dreams and thinking in a good life. But thay can't because they have not conditions to leave that places. A very good movie

Dark, sadistic and deeply disturbed. City of God is the sort of film one can respect but it's very hard to enjoy. It brilliantly paced, very engaging but at times absurdly superficial.

The beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeest

It's a strong and realistic portrait of difficulties of living in Brazil's favelas .. It's violent, often hard to see, the acting is excellent and the plot just awsome. Moreover, the story is based on true events: that's enforce the realism and the immersion! Finally, the scenes are wonderfully filmed: the producer dealt an incredible work! Sure we are facing one of the best movies ever made! (specially in foreign country)

An emotionally visceral, graphically violent piece of cinema, City of God (Cidade de Deus) might be one of the most brutally honest films I've ever seen. Noting is taboo as the movie shows children being shot, countless dead bodies, and ruthless behavior; all the more shocking because it's real. The movie takes place in the City of God, an area in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, far from the places shown on the touristy postcards. It's a slum, and it seems like you'd be lucky to make it into your 20's living there. The story follows a young man named Rocket as he aspires to be a photographer, while showing bleak backdrop of the drug trade and constant gang warfare in the area. The director purposefully uses little-known actors to make the feel of the movie more authentic, and the way he presents the material through the stunning cinematography and a superb script is amazing. I'm shocked it didn't succeed in getting nominated for best Foreign Language film at the Oscars, but nonetheless it is a powerful and important film that earns its critical praise. Some viewers will be unable to watch parts of this movie; it really is that shocking.

This is truly a brilliant movie! Engaging, profound, crude, and touching. Although humorous at times, some of the scenes are also hard to watch and it might make you question certain values we hold based on things that we take for granted. This movie takes you to a reality that most of us have never imagined. I also like the sociological ideas/ message behind this film. It is not my favourite movie ever, but for what it offers, it is definitely a 10. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. We have it at home.

Masterfully directed and acted, City of God is undeniably worthy of the praise it has received over the years. Unashamedly brutal and honest, City of God provides a brilliant look at life in the slums of Brazil through the eyes of a boy who dreams of becoming a photographer and while he is not involved in gang life, he is undeniably touched by it and it is a huge part of who he is. The acting, directing, and cinematography, are all pitch perfect and the storytelling here works very well. It is a great example of world cinema since it is a Brazilian film and a great example of how it does not matter what language a film is in, as long as it is very good and this one certainly fits that bill. Overall, I was very impressed with this film and it undoubtedly rings true for those living in this unfortunate situation. While brutal and sad at times, this one is a foreign language classic.

A rather violent movie with very complex and thought-provoking storyline based on a true story. Great filming and direction. Definitely this movie should be watched by everyone who loves good movies.

Unique characters drift in and out of gang life, trying to survive in their own ways. Touches us with elements of familiarity and shows how if the environment were a bit different, these horrible options could become a reality anywhere. Great movie. Well done.

Com certeza de longe o melhor filme brasileiro de todos os tempos, graças um trabalho primoroso de alto nível fizeram essa película fortemente apreciada em todo o mundo.

Amazing movie, director Fernado teach us that the good cinema is everywhere, the performance are incredible, and all the history of this picture have sense with the real life now, is amazing and maybe one of the best movies foreign language.

City of God follows the fortunes **** of children growing up in a poor, crime infested part of Rio de Janeiro. The story centers mainly around two characters. Each with very similar lives, but who take vastly different paths. This juxtaposition is what drives the narrative in City Of God, and what makes it so compelling. Rocket feels out of place in the world he lives. he wants to be a photographer. We know from the moment we meet him that he longs to rise above the horrendous poverty and crime that envelopes him. He stands out in this world, others are naturally drawn to his soft temperament and demeanor even if they don't realize the reason. Rocket does not readily have the means to rise above this world so consequently he comes across many stumbling blocks in his life. One of the more interesting sequences in the film is when Rocket concludes that he has no other options than to resort to the life most of his peers have. How this decision plays out results in some of the more lighthearted moments in City Of God. While Rocket's path may not be more interesting than others in the story, it is the most sympathetic. Li'l Ze is the polar opposite of Rocket. He doesn't long to rise above this world, he longs to rule over it. The perverse crime and violence he sees all around him doesn't hinder him, it compels him. Li'l Ze earns the kind of respect that comes from brute force, and he learns these tactics at a frighteningly young age. If Li'l Ze is going to be a criminal he is determined to the most powerful criminal in the City of God. This is his only motivation, and what he allows to define his existence. There are many other characters in City Of God. This film has lots of moving parts. However most of the other players move within the framework of the two main characters. Rocket and Li'l Ze are the black and white of the movie, while the other characters represent the shades of gray. It is an interesting way to tell a story, and works exceptionally well here. If I have an issue with City of God it is with the way the movie was shot. We get very few static shots in this film. Everything is quick cuts and shaky camera. While this style never completely keeps me from enjoying a film, it can detract from my enjoyment some. It is very hard to get a sense of time and place when this style is employed, City if God was no exception to this. It also make it difficult to differentiate between the good and bad acting within this style. I suppose this can work positively for the director, but I still consider it a detriment. Overall I would consider City of God a great crime drama. The story is extremely well told, with many interesting memorable characters. This is the kind of movie that is still with you weeks or months after you see it. I am looking forward to revisiting it in the future.

When the credits begin to roll, your eyes will be wide, thoughts racing, your mind still trying to comprehend the impeccable City of God.

Filmogaphy on this move is an evolution of anything hollywood ever acomplished. A real lesson on how to film a story that screams reality. One of the most violent movies ever made is also one of the most beautifully filmed.

City of God tells its story through multiple small stories and numerous characters yet the tale it tells and the world it shows is remarkably cohesive. A bleak picture is painted of 1960's Rio, one where goodness is easily corrupted and the corrupted hold the power.