City of God

City of God, directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund and starring Alexandre Rodrigeues as Rocket, Phellipe Haagensen as Benny, Douglas Silva as Li'l Dice, and Matheus Nachtergaele as Carrot was released in 2002. You would think that Rio de Janeiro would be a vacation destination, and maybe you're right, as long as you don't get lost in the City of God. Known as one of the worst favelas, an informal neighborhood, in Rio during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. This historical era is presented through the eyes of our main character Rocket. He has a bias opinion of the world he lives in, for he doesn't want to be apart of it but doesn't have a way out at first.

As the movie starts we see a mad dash for a runaway chicken! Boys of all ages are chasing this chicken, carrying guns. In what world do we allow boys this young to carry guns. Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the drug and gun trafficking world. Stuck in the street with all guns pointed at him it the main character Rocket, who loves to take pictures. "A picture could change my life." Let us rewind and introduce Clipper, Goose, and Shaggy. These are "The Tender Trio" who are legendary in the City of God. They three of them run this town. Although this is before the drug scene gets very popular. "The Tender Trio" mainly are responsible for robberies. As we see they go after the gasoline truck, they rob the hotel (the idea of Li'l Zé) and other petty crimes. Rocket comments; "Having a hood for a brother sucked." He didn't want to be a hood or a policeman because he was scared of being shot. He wanted to have a career as a photographer.

Rocket as a young boy

Rocket grown up

As the boys grow up we see a change in power. Li'l Zé kills Rocket's older brother Goose, who is running from the police after sleeping with a man's wife while selling fish. Goose thought that after the motel robbery Li'l Zé "was a goner", although this wasn't the case. We later find out that the murders at the motel were the direct result of Li'l Zé finally getting his opportunity to use his gun and quench his thirst to kill. Now Li'l Zé is Li'l Dice and is the head of the drug business in the City of God along with his partner Benny who has been his friend since childhood. Watching these two throughout the movie I was only annoyed. Not only do they not have a soul to speak of they are simply ignorant to anything but the love of money, power, and drugs. They will do anything and everything to remain on top. Maybe it is because I personally have never had to experience any type of hardship like this in my life, but killing people out of spite is something I will never understand.

Li'l Dice

Benny

Carrot

Our key messages are that you have to work for everything you have. Even the dealers work for what they have. As young boys they worked for what they had. They started out as runners and were paid accordingly, and continued to move up. They didn't care if it meant stealing or killing. They wanted to be in charge. That was the end goal. Rocket did they same. He bought a cheap camera and at first only took pictures of his friend in hopes that one day he would have a big break. After his pictures made in on the front page of the newspaper and Li'l Dice said that everyone was starting to see that he was very important and wasn't anyone to mess with Rocket started to take more pictures. This was his out, his big break. The film I believe was a success. It followed the readings pretty close to what actually happened. Good news is that now Rio is in much better shape than it was during this time period.

In chapter seven of Janice Perlman's book it states, "They [the militias] control everything; they impose curfews; they make you pay for coming and going in your own community...If you don't do what they say, they shoot you-not to wound but to kill. That's their way." This was not shown in the movie at all. "Once again, the favela residents have traded one fear for another. Where fear of removal was replaced by fear of the drug traffic, now fear of the drug traffic has been replaced by fear of the militias." In fact the "militias" were owned by the drug dealers. They helped cover up what was actually going on. The only fear in the City of God was the drug dealers! It is not surprising that the police in Rio are violent and corrupt. They are underpaid and afraid. Many of them grew up in and still live in favelas themselves.  For many, joining the police force was an attempt to gain respect. When police are not respected, they intimidate.

Janice also gives us a list of essential ingredients for the feijoada: 1. Stigmatized territories within the city that are excluded from state protection; 2. inequality levels among the highest in the world; 3. a high-priced illegal commodity with the alchemist's allure of turning poverty into wealth; 4. well-organized, well-connected drug gangs and networks; 5. easy access to sophisticated weaponry; 6. un underpaid, understaffed, unaccountable police force; 7. a weak government indifferent to "the rule of the law"; 8. independent militias and vigilante groups who can kill at will; 9. a powerless population of over 3 million people in poverty; and 10. a sensationalist mass media empire fomenting fear to sell advertising and justify police brutality.