Movies - City of God

Home > Listing Index > Movies > City of God (film)

	Movies - City of God

City of God (Portuguese: Cidade de Deus) is a Brazilian film, released in its home country in 2002 and worldwide in 2003. It was adapted by Bráulio Mantovani from the novel by Paulo Lins. It was directed by Kátia Lund and Fernando Meirelles. It stars Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino da Hora, Jonathan Haagensen, Douglas Silva, and Seu Jorge.

Most of the actors in the film had never acted before and were, in fact, residents of favelas such as Vidigal and the Cidade de Deus itself.

The film received four Academy Award nominations in 2004: Best Cinematography (César Charlone), Best Directing (Meirelles), Best Editing (Daniel Rezende) and Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) (Mantovani). Before that, in 2003 it had been chosen to be Brazil's runner for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but it was not nominated to be one of the five finalists.

In September 2004, a nine-part spin-off series, City of Men, was released on DVD, and broadcast on BBC4.

Tagline: 15 miles from paradise...one man will do anything to tell the world everything.

Plot summary

Taking place over the course of a few decades, City of God tells the story of two parallel lives from the favela Cidade de Deus (Portuguese for City of God) in Brazil. While both grow up amidst much violence and despair, both take different paths. As the years progress, the characters go through a series of changes. Li'l Dice changes his name to Li'l Ze, becomes one of the most violent gangsters in the City of God as he starts up his own gang, kills many rivals, and makes many enemies. Rocket witnesses much of this, as he develops an interest in photography and wishes to use it to escape the violence of the favelas.

Their paths cross at many points in the film: Rocket's older brother is murdered by Li'l Ze when they are just children; a mutual friend of Rocket and Li'l Ze is murdered as he attempts to leave the gangster life; Rocket's photos attract Li'l Ze's attention and Rocket is hired to be his photographer; and Rocket is there to document the inevitable gang war that erupts between Li'l Ze and his rivals.

Cast

Translation into English of character's names that were nicknames are between parenthesis when applicable.

Alexandre Rodrigues as "Busca-pé" ("Firecracker"/"Rocket")
Alice Braga as Angélica
Charles Paraventi as "Tio Sam" ("uncle Sam")
Christian Duurvoort as "Paulista" (Paulista, a native of the state of São Paulo)
Daniel Zettel as Thiago
Danielle Ornellas as "Paraíba's" neighbor
Darlan Cunha as "Filé com Fritas" ("Steak with Fries")

Douglas Silva as "Dadinho" ("Li'l Dice" — Zé Pequeno as child)
Edson Montenegro as "Busca-pé’s" father
Edson Oliveirra as "Barbantinho" ("Little String")
Emerson Gomes as "Barbantinho" (as a child)
Felipe Silva as Rafael
Gero Camilo as "Paraíba" (Paraíba, a vulgar form of addressing a native of the state of Paraíba)
Graziella Moretto as Marina Cintra
Jefechander Suplino as "Alicate" ("Pliers")
Jonathan Haagensen as "Cabeleira" ("Big Hair")
Karina Falcão as “Paraíba’s” wife
Leandra Miranda as "Lúcia Maracanã"
Leandro Firmino da Hora as "Zé Pequeno" ("Little Zé - a common abbreviation for the name "José")
Luis Otávio as "Busca-pé" (as a child)
Luiz Carlos Ribeiro Seixas as "Touro" ("Bull")
Marcos Junqueira as Otávio
Matheus Nachtergaele as "Sandro Cenoura" ("Carrot Sandro")
Maurício Marques as "Cabeção" ("Big Head")
Michel de Souza Gomes as "Bené" (as a child)
Olívia Araújo as the Motel’s receptionist
Paulo César "Jacaré" as "Tuba" (the musical instrument)
Phelipe Haagensen as "Bené" (a common abbreviation for the name "Benedito")
Renato de Souza as "Marreco" ("Goose")
Roberta Rodrigues as Berenice
Robson Rocha as Gelson
Rubens Sabino as "Neguinho" (“Blackie”)
Sabrina Rosa as "Galinha’s" wife
Seu Jorge
as "Mané Galinha" ("Knockout Ned" in the English version — literal translation: "Chicken Ned" – does not imply a coward in Portuguese slang, but usually means "Womanizer". "Mané" is short for "Manuel", a common name in Brazil.)
Thiago Martins as "Lampião" (“Lamp”)

:* Images of Sérgio Chapelein hosting the Jornal Nacional in 1979 were provided by Rede Globo television network.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for City of God (film) ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article City of God (film); it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.

Searches on eBay