Cidade de Deus (City of God) is a housing project built in the 1960's that--in the early 80's--became one of the most dangerous places in Rio de Janeiro. The tale tells the stories of many characters whose lives sometimes intersect. However, all is seen through the eyes of a singular narrator: Busca-Pé, a poor black youth too frail and scared to become an outlaw, but also too smart to be content with underpaid, menial jobs. He grows up in a very violent environment. The odds are all against him. But Busca-Pé soon discovers that he can see reality differently than others. His redemption is that he's been given an artist's point of view as a keen-eyed photographer. As Busca-Pé is not the real protagonist of the film--only the narrator--he is not the one who makes the decisions that will determine the sequence of events. Nevertheless, not only his life is attached to what happens in the story, but it is also through Busca-Pé's perspective of life that one can understand the complicated layers and humanity of a world, apparently condemned to endless violence.
I recently rented the movie to find out what the whole hysteria and critical acclaim was all about. Going into the show I had pretty high expectations and certainly wasn't disappointed. The director took a wonderful yet true(realistic) story, and moulded it into a storytelling masterpiece with breathtaking visuals. There's even a little twist in the end, but raving about that small point would be disrespectful to the show. I can't say enough how brilliant this show is, its less complex but just as stunning as another well directed story, memento. A MUST WATCH.
