The Film
City Of God is all too often cited as the Brazilian Goodfellas.
While it’s a fine comparison to have made towards the film – there’s far more to it than simply following in the footsteps of Scorsese’s classic. Yes, it has an epic narrative which spans multiple decades and charts the lives of a group of criminals – but Fernando Meirelles’ 2002 masterpiece has its own distinctions which make it culturally and thematically unique. Scorsese wouldn’t begin a movie with Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro chasing a fleeing chicken through the streets of New York.
It’s also significant that City Of God’s characters aren’t drawn to the glitz and glamour of criminality – instead drawn to the path as a way to break free from their oppressive and poverty stricken slum backgrounds. There’s true horror in the films portrayal of gang culture, with...
City Of God is all too often cited as the Brazilian Goodfellas.
While it’s a fine comparison to have made towards the film – there’s far more to it than simply following in the footsteps of Scorsese’s classic. Yes, it has an epic narrative which spans multiple decades and charts the lives of a group of criminals – but Fernando Meirelles’ 2002 masterpiece has its own distinctions which make it culturally and thematically unique. Scorsese wouldn’t begin a movie with Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro chasing a fleeing chicken through the streets of New York.
It’s also significant that City Of God’s characters aren’t drawn to the glitz and glamour of criminality – instead drawn to the path as a way to break free from their oppressive and poverty stricken slum backgrounds. There’s true horror in the films portrayal of gang culture, with...
- 9/19/2011
- by Stephen Leigh
- Obsessed with Film
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