City of God – An Appreciation

September 9th, 2010 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Of all the characters in the film, the most memorable is Li’l Ze, played by Leandro Firmino with an intensity rarely seen by other actors.  Li’l Ze is the main villain of the film, a gang leader that has a short temper and unpredictable personality.  At one moment, he’ll laugh and joke with another person, but at the next moment will kill that very same person without a moment’s hesitation.  Li’l Ze is an intimidating and scary character, near the beginning of the film we see him, as a child, murder the victims of the hotel robbery with an evil and haunting smile on his face.  He then carries this intensity in to adulthood, where he gains prominence in the City of God through force, killing whomever is a threat to his goal of ruling the slums in its entirety.

The amazing aspect of the film is that all of the characters (Rocket, Li’l Ze, etc.) are played by non-actors.  Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, and all the other actors that feature in the film never had any professional training, and yet have such an uncanny ability to play their parts with a natural and realistic feel.  They walk the walk, they know the language, they’re aware of the movements and gestures of their character’s lives.  This is probably due to the fact that many of the actors are actual residents of the slums: they have lived and grown up in the very areas that the film showcases.  They have seen the violence, witnessed the corruption, and lived with the danger of the slums all their lives, so much so that when seen on screen, their performances have a weight and knowledge of the world around them.  It’s an incredible accomplishment by all involved that rivals the very best actors Hollywood has to offer.

City of God is a masterpiece of modern filmmaking, incorporating the style and technique of modern cinema, but with a creativity and understanding of story telling reminiscent of classic movie making.  It has an electricity and energy that engulfs the viewer in to the world it presents and doesn’t let go.  The characters are memorable, the story simple to follow, and the lives presented are those very rarely seen.  Most importantly, the film will bring up the discussion of class separation, and the notion that much of the violence and crime shown is a result of those that simply had no other choice to survive.  The best films are that which puts us in the place of the characters, and presents itself in a new and unique way.  In a time when films lack originality and passion, here is a film that defies convention with a dose of reality.  For anyone that wonders what one of the great films of the new century is, this is their answer.

The Rise of Li’l Ze (Warning: Videoclip contains violence)

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Aleandre Rodrigues, Cidade de Deus, City Of God, Fernando Meirelles, Leandro Firmino