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City of God Customer Reviews (7 - 9 of 51 Reviews)

One of the best movies you'll ever see...
I put off seeing this film for a long time for fear that the violence would be unbearable. What is most remarkable is that I don't remember specific scenes of violence; I remember the overall violence of the film. Sometimes extreme graphic violence causes us to miss the content. This one nails the content.

The backdrop is the violent world into which these characters are ghettoized and how that ghetto breeds the 'City of God', where even the police rarely tread. The story revolves around Rocket, non-violent amongst the violent, a young boy who seeks liberation from this world through other means.

I cannot comment enough on the cinematography. The visual virtuosity and the musical score are so intertwined, it is one continuous viscerally stunning film. Not one moment of dialogue is wasted, not one character is in excess, not one scene is irrelevant. There are many characters and many underlying plots occurring simultaneously yet not once did I cease to follow. The characters all appear real.

The storyline is tight and builds to a climax that will kind of linger with you for days and weeks after. It's a film you just won't forget. It is a striking film and will bring that world as close to your doorstep without getting burnt as you'll most likely ever get. Do not miss this film.

Brilliant film, great filmography, and beyond artistic A++
If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. This film is a real life depiction of the slums of Rio, and the people who live in them. Aside from the violence and gore that is inherent in this type of film, it is nessecary to show the audience that that is how life is in the slums of Brazil. The movie is a LOT to digest and really does take a strong sense of understanding to sit through the whole thing. This movie isn't quite Schindler's List, but a just as intense; I would say that it takes a certain degree of preparation to watch this, and I'm glad to say that I wasn't prepared when I did. Certainly not something you want to watch with your girlfriend. My recommendation: WATCH IT!!!!

Lithmus Test
If you're looking for a pointless debate about the movie's violence, a few ridiculous comparisons to "Goodfellas," or repetitive reference's to Ebert's now famous one-liner, there is plenty of fodder below.

(...)

I'm not one to say that these folks have "missed the point" or that their opinions are wrong. But if you're looking over these reviews to get an accurate reflection of the quality of this film, it might be helpful to remember that the bad reviews are almost certainly bourne of a base or instinctive emotional response. It seems a bit paradoxical that the primary purpose of dramatic art of any kind, meaninfg a base or emotional response, would be the primary reason for panning a movie. (Just for the record, I thought "Natural Born Killers" was just stupid.)

"City of God" may not be a masterpiece, but when I finally sat down to watch it a few weeks ago it was one of the most interesting and entertaining films I had seen in a long time. If you're the type that, as the credit start to roll, enjoys a stunned silence and the irrepressible urge to talk about what you just saw, "City if God" is a sure thing.

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