Ciudad de Dios is a Brazilian drama that captures the intense lives of both members of a small favela gang and outsiders impacted. Throughout the entire film, we follow a young boy named Rocket who tries vigorously to distinguish himself from the gang he is closely related to.
In the opening scene, the main character, Rocket, is seen with a friend in the middle of a tiny street in Rio de Janeiro. Behind him are rival gang members, and in front of him is the gang he watched grow up. This scene is foreshadowing a conflict that will later become the most important decision he makes of his life.
In the following scene, the audience is introduced to the main and supporting characters who are playing soccer outside in a dirt field in an impoverished neighborhood close to Rio de Janeiro. The houses all have the same features, the same roof, the same door and the same layout. Some of the older boys take the ball, dribbling and shooting it high in the air before shooting it with a pistol. The young children have no blatant reaction to the gunshot; this scene implies they have grown up around guns and are experienced with them.
Later in the movie, most of the older members set out to rob a hotel not far from the town. They bring a small boy by the name of Lil’ Ze, who wants to enter and rob the hotel with them, but he was forced to be a lookout, as the older members leave the hotel with the money Lil’ Ze enters the motel and kills the residents for sheer amusement. This scene indicates that Lil’ Ze has little to no regard for other people, he finds joy through being powerful, this also foreshadows his appearance later as the leader of the gang.
Pass forward a decade and the crew have finally made it to the favela in Rio de Janeiro, Rocket has found a group of teenagers that have similar interests as him, even a girl who he secretly likes. Despite his attempt to disintegrate from the gang he’s left, he still finds himself struggling to not commit crimes. However, Rocket eventually finds a camera, through which he enjoys taking pictures and finds a job as a photographer at a publishing house.
At the climax of the film, we finally view the vision we had seen earlier by Rocket, the scene of his friend and him in the middle of the street between both gangs. Rocket, knowing the incredible picture he could produce, takes a picture before a fight breaks out. Most members in each gang are killed except for Lil’ Ze and a group of children no older than thirteen. The police come and arrest Lil’ Ze and take him to a secluded area, where Lil’ Ze pays the police officers money in return for his freedom, all being captured by Rocket’s camera who is hiding behind a gate. Ultimately, Lil’ Ze loses all of his money and then returns to the children to try and convince them to stay with him; however, the children had no faith and killed Lil’ Ze.
I believe this movie to mainly explore the poverty and crime rates in Brazil, as well as how growing up in dangerous environments can impact the decisions we make, whether good or bad.
