Watched on Blu-Ray

2002 was to be the year that propelled director Fernando Meirelles to stardom virtually overnight. And that was to turn all eyes worldwide on Brazilian cinema. "City of God" quickly became a critics' and audiences' favourite. The film, which was co-directed by Kátia Lund, has also long since been considered a classic - a status that only few films are granted.

The film is set in the west of Rio de Janeiro, in the Cidade de Deus, the so-called City of God. As beautiful as the name sounds, the place has little in common with the positive associations. For it is hell on earth, where murder, rape, robberies and drug dealing are the order of the day. A place with its very own laws, where the police hardly dare to enter. And if they do, it is often because they are involved in dirty business themselves. Those who have grown up here have long since become accustomed to this world; all the shootings are no longer anything out of the ordinary. For us as viewers, of course, things look quite different, we follow the events from a mixture of sheer horror but also pure fascination. For despite the horror, there is also much that is exciting and beautiful to discover. Director Meirelles knows this too and, together with his talented cinematographer César Charlone (nominated for an Oscar for this), captures breathtaking images that are masterfully staged with numerous well-chosen technical gimmicks and brisk, well-placed cuts.

The plot, which is based on the novel "Cidade de Deus" by Paulo Lins, is partly fictional, but is also based in part on true events and the author's own experiences, who himself grew up in the Cidade de Deus. Bráulio Mantovani (also nominated for an Oscar) adapted the material for the film and shows an extremely skilful hand in porting the story with all its flashbacks, time jumps, interlacing and various perspectives onto a new medium. With its non-linear narrative and division into several chapters, "City of God" may certainly be reminiscent of Tarantino, but its flow is far more rhythmic and playful.

The story begins in the 1960s and spans almost two decades, during which we follow the development of numerous interesting characters, both positive and negative. Stories that invite us to laugh, that seem absurd, that get under our skin or horrify us with their unrestrained brutality. A rollercoaster ride of emotions to be explored at full throttle. In the process, a complex narrative web is spun, which forms a harrowing saga that knows how to entertain at the very highest level and without exception in its feature film time of around 130 minutes.

The focus is always on Buscapé, whom we follow from childhood to young adulthood and who tries to lead a normal life in the midst of this troubled world, far away from gang wars and illegal business. But leading a normal life in the Cidade de Deus is anything but easy. Only those who steal from others or deal drugs can get money. The only way to earn respect is to blow the heads off your opponents. And if you want to score with women, you need both. Buscapé at least tries to resist the dirty way and turn his dream of becoming a photographer into reality. But the maelstrom of violence catches him again and again. In addition, there is always Zé Pequeno around, psychopath and gangster boss of the city, whose paths cross again and again with Buscapé. But maybe Zé Pequeno is also the way out of the hole?

By the way, "City of God" was shot largely with unknown actors, most of whom even came from the favelas themselves. This, and also the fact that there was a lot of leeway in improvising actions and dialogue, lend the film a lot of authenticity. At the time still a blank slate, today well known: Alice Braga is also in the cast, among others, and can be admired here at her young beginnings.

A fascinating excursion into the favelas of Brazil - colourful, loud, dirty, brutal and in its own way also beautiful. Both technically and narratively, "City of God" is a stunner of a film. In short: a masterpiece without equal!