Movie Review: Cidade de Deus (2002)


Movie: Cidade de Deus (2002)

“Brazil, 1960′s, City of God. The Tender Trio robs motels and gas trucks. Younger kids watch and learn well…too well. 1970′s: Li’l Zé has prospered very well and owns the city. He causes violence and fear as he wipes out rival gangs without mercy. His best friend Bené is the only one to keep him on the good side of sanity. Rocket has watched these two gain power for years, and he wants no part of it. Yet he keeps getting swept up in the madness. All he wants to do is take pictures. 1980′s: Things are out of control between the last two remaining gangs…will it ever end? Welcome to the City of God. Written by Jeff Mellinger {jeffmellinger@astound.net}”

  • Release Date:
    2002 (Russia)
  • Run Time:
    130 min | Canada:135 min (Toronto International Film Festival)
  • Country: Brazil , France
  • Genre: Action , Crime , Drama
  • MPAA:
    Rated R for strong brutal violence, sexuality, drug content and language.

Tagline: If you run you're dead…if you stay, you're dead again. Period.

Trivia: The director was once quoted as saying that if he knew the dangers of filming the movie in a Rio favela, he wouldn’t have done the movie.

Goofs: Continuity: When Bené throws Neguinho out (after he, Neguinho, has killed his girl friend) the amount of blood on Bené’s T-shirt changes