City of God

An exceptional masterpiece that may only receive true recognition after several years. The Brazilian nature of this film can literally be felt in every second. The filmmakers break away from the typical clichéd story and give us a gritty, realistic experience, where we see the harsh life in the roughest neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro. The formal aspect is flawless, with fantastic handheld camera, brilliant editing, and sound. The actors (unknown to me) give wonderful performances and the direction is even better. (07/05/2005)

The film attacks the viewer with its rawness, with everything presented incredibly realistically, creating an almost documentary-like impression. This is Rio de Janeiro, this is the city where death can come just because someone has too much power. A tough drama that heavily relies on the fact that such slums in Brazil are likely real. Sometimes you feel like it really is. The scenes with children are truly intense. It is difficult to get into the story because the intensity with which the film affects you will probably shock you and take your breath away. It is quite challenging to identify with the characters. (17/02/2014)

Well, I don’t think City of God is only an average film, as my rating may indicate, but I simply can’t grant four or five stars to something that never managed to make me interested in how it will end. The editing is very nice, and so are the performances and the direction, but what can I do with that when I didn’t care at all about the story itself? (07/12/2008)

Now. that's what I call proper craftsmanship! The directors literally jumped in headfirst to present a true hell on earth in the most cruel, uncompromising, and "unfortunately" the most realistic point of view. What's more, they didn’t need stars or pools of blood. No, what makes this film so compelling is the shocking fact that this is how life is really lived, and an amazing portrayal of characters as they try to deal with the events around them in the only way possible, with a gun always at hand. Such a film could be interesting even without a plot, but City of God has a very good one, with plenty of action and keeps a very high pace throughout. After the closing credits, I was simply amazed and captivated by the quality and power of the story, which made me even more grateful that I was born here in Czechia, where kids don't get a shotgun or a membership in a killer gang for their tenth birthday. (09/05/2011)

This beautifully raw film, City of God, depicting the bloody past of Rio de Janeiro's most dangerous and oldest slum, is exactly the kind of drama that hits you to the core. And not only in form or subject matter, but above all in how incredibly authentic and realistic it is. That's the way movies based on true events should be made, so that their realness cries out to all corners of the world. (95%) (07/03/2023)