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City of God

Play trailer Poster for City of God R 2003 2h 11m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 162 Reviews 97% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket (Phellipe Haagensen) is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood. José "Zé" Pequeno (Douglas Silva) is an ambitious drug dealer who uses Rocket and his photos as a way to increase his fame as a turf war erupts with his rival, "Knockout Ned" (Leandro Firmino da Hora). The film was shot on location in Rio's poorest neighborhoods.

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City of God

City of God

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Critics Consensus

City of God offers a shocking and disturbing -- but always compelling -- look at life in the slums of Rio de Janiero.

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Critics Reviews

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Anupama Chopra Film Companion 12/30/2019
What makes City of God so breathtaking is director Fernando Meirelles' passion for these people - he gives us the color, the music and the humor... Go to Full Review J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 11/08/2011
I came away from this film impressed by its narrative control but unmoved by anything it had to say. Go to Full Review Nell Minow Common Sense Media 12/22/2010
4/5
Powerful, but only for 17 and up. Go to Full Review Paul Emmanuel Enicola Movie-Blogger.com 08/24/2024
5/5
A stark depiction of life outside the city: terrifying, unsettling, but never losing the sense of comedy. Go to Full Review Blake Howard One Heat Minute 02/13/2023
4/4
“A gateway drug to world cinema … aesthetically pure… the world was bigger after I watched City of God.” Go to Full Review Ray Pride Newcity 08/18/2022
7/10
What is the value of human life? And why are we so reckless with the fate of the youth of the world? Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ben W @Username618 Mar 21 Slick, but I don't like gangsters. See more MBI M @MNZGamerX Mar 2 It is impossible to not come away memorized and haunted by the story and the powerful portrayal of a childhood deformed by an unforgiving and crime prone environment and the attempt to a rise to power and fortune on the one side and on the another to legitimacy and recognition. See more Carlos I @carlosFibarra Feb 12 Fernando Meirelles’ City of God is a kinetic masterpiece that captures the raw pulse of Rio’s favelas with a style that is as breathtaking as it is harrowing. The film manages to find moments of vibrant, chaotic fun in the madness, bursting with sun-drenched colors and a rhythmic soundtrack, but the adrenaline rush never masks the underlying tragedy. It is terrifying how true it rings, presenting a cycle of systemic violence and lost innocence that feels less like a scripted drama and more like a visceral, lived-in reality. See more Keith B B @Okbullard Jan 18 It was pretty good but so hard to imagine living in that situation. I doubt I'd ever want to watch it again. See more Ines C @InesCris Dec 30 Um filme espetacular! See more Sahil K @Sahilk171 Dec 27 I don't get the 97 rating, I mean I get that it was a good movie at the time but still 97 is too high, I felt things were rushed in a few parts, I would rate this a 6/10. See more Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Fernando Meirelles

Director

Alexandre Rodrigues

Buscapé - Rocket

Leandro Firmino

Zé Pequeno - Li'l Zé

Phellipe Haagensen

Benê - Benny

Douglas Silva

Dadinho - Li'l Dice

Jonathan Haagensen

Cabeleira - Shaggy

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City of God

Fernando Meirelles's CITY OF GOD. Fernando Meirelles's CITY OF GOD. Fernando Meirelles's CITY OF GOD. Fernando Meirelles's CITY OF GOD. Fernando Meirelles's CITY OF GOD. Fernando Meirelles's CITY OF GOD. City of God (2002) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In the poverty-stricken favelas of Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, two young men choose different paths. Rocket (Phellipe Haagensen) is a budding photographer who documents the increasing drug-related violence of his neighborhood. José "Zé" Pequeno (Douglas Silva) is an ambitious drug dealer who uses Rocket and his photos as a way to increase his fame as a turf war erupts with his rival, "Knockout Ned" (Leandro Firmino da Hora). The film was shot on location in Rio's poorest neighborhoods.
Director
Fernando Meirelles
Producer
Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Maurício Andrade Ramos
Screenwriter
Bráulio Mantovani, Paulo Lins
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
O2 Filmes, Lumiere Productions, Lereby, Globo Filmes, Hank Levine Film, StudioCanal, VideoFilmes, Wild Bunch
Rating
R (Language|Drug Content|Sexuality|Strong Brutal Violence)
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 17, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 17, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$7.6M
Runtime
2h 11m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
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