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Cidade de Deus (City of God) (2002)

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Average Rating: 8.3/10
Reviews Counted: 155
Fresh: 140 | Rotten: 15

A shocking and disturbing, but always compelling look at life in the slums of Rio de Janiero.

Average Rating: 8.2/10
Critic Reviews: 35
Fresh: 31 | Rotten: 4

A shocking and disturbing, but always compelling look at life in the slums of Rio de Janiero.

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Average Rating: 4.3/5
User Ratings: 216,066

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Movie Info

Fernando Meirelles' City of God is a sweeping tale of how crime affects the poor population of Rio de Janeiro. Though the narrative skips around in time, the main focus is on Cabeleira who formed a gang called the Tender Trio. He and his best friend, Ben� (Phelipe Haagensen), become crime lords over the course of a decade. When Ben� is killed before he can retire, Lil' Z� attempts to take out his arch enemy, Sandro Cenoura (Matheus Nachtergaele). But Sandro and a young gangster named Mane form

R, 2 hr. 11 min.

Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International

Directed By: Fernando Meirelles , K�tia Lund

Written By: Fernando Meirelles, Braulio Mantovani

In Theaters: Jan 17, 2003 Wide

On DVD: Jun 8, 2004

Box Office:$7.3M

Miramax Films

Cidade de Deus (City of God) Trailer & Photos

More Photos (3)

Cast

Alexandre Rodrigues
Buscapé (Rocket), Busc...
Leandro Firmino da Hora
Zé Pequeno (Lil' Zé),...
Matheus Nachtergaele
Sandro Cenoura (Carrot)
Phelipe Haagensen
Bené (Benny), Ben� (Be...
Seu Jorge
Mane Galinha (Knockout ...
Jonathan Haagensen
Cabeleira (Shaggy)
Daniel Zettel
Thiago
Alice Braga
Angélica, Ang�lica, An...
Douglas Silva
Dadinho (Lil' Dice)
Roberta Rodriguez Silvia
Berenice
Michel de Souza Gomes
Bené Criança (Young B...
Darlan Cunha
Filé-com-Fritas, Fil�-...
Johnathan Haagensen
Phellipe Haagensen
Leandro Firmino
Seu Jorg
Philippe Haagensen

Critic Reviews for Cidade de Deus (City of God)

All Critics (155) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (144) | Rotten (15) | DVD (31)

I came away from this film impressed by its narrative control but unmoved by anything it had to say.

November 8, 2011 Full Review Source: Chicago Reader

| Comment

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

City of God delivers a bruising, visceral experience of the vicious spiral of violence that draws kids into a life of crime, brutality and murder as the only avenue open to them.

June 17, 2009 Full Review Source: Variety

| Comment

David Rooney

Variety

Top Critic

Difficult to watch but hard to look away from.

May 19, 2004 Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune

| Comment

Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Top Critic

The living conditions it projects are as horrendous as I had feared, but the movie is surprisingly easy to take as a rollicking homicidal entertainment.

March 11, 2004 Full Review Source: New York Observer

| Comment

Andrew Sarris

New York Observer

Top Critic

Hard to watch but even harder to tear your eyes away from.

March 20, 2003 Comment

Roger Moore

Orlando Sentinel

Top Critic

Meirelles takes us to a real-life deathtrap and then proceeds to make us feel twice as alive for the time we spend there.

March 14, 2003 Comment

Terry Lawson

Detroit Free Press

Top Critic

Another passionate piece of Latin American filmmaking, which documents a tragic period in Rio's history and highlights the horrors of life in poverty-line communities. Technically a remarkable filmmaking achievement too.

November 8, 2011 Full Review Source: Film4

| Comment

Film4

Powerful, but only for 17 and up.

December 22, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

| Comment

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Each chapter is endowed with powerful, uncompromising, beguiling and, sometimes, deceptive momentum. What seem like innocuous turns become so critical to the narrative that they tie into the ruthless idea at hand: You never see the bullet that kills you.

September 25, 2010 Full Review Source: Suite101.com

| Comment

Nick Rogers

Suite101.com

Brazillian director Mereilles' splashy feature debut, a dynamically exciting portrait of Rio's violent gangs, immediately established himsef as an international talent to watch, and the Oscar nods only reaffirmed that status.

December 31, 2009 Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

| Comment

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com Source: EmanuelLevy.Com

Fernando Meirelles' Brazilian slum epic is a profound, stylistically expansive depiction of three decades of child gang warfare on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro with non-actors playing their poverty-ridden lives for the camera.

June 12, 2009 Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com

| Comment

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Often masterful in its distillation of exposition into pure sight and sound energy... but equally frustrating in its attention-grabbing lack of focus.

November 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Projection Booth

| Comment

Rob Humanick

Projection Booth

Director Fernando Meirelles creates an aura of fear unlike any film in recent memory.

July 14, 2007 Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound

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Joe Lozito

Big Picture Big Sound

The performances, many from non-pros, are terrific.

June 24, 2006 Full Review Source: Time Out

| Comment

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

City of God is not the easiest film to watch, but it is a masterpiece all the same, maybe the best crime drama since the Godfather films.

January 15, 2005 Comment

Jeffrey Overstreet

Looking Closer

A staggering masterpiece.

August 13, 2004 Full Review Source: Oregon Herald

| Comment

Mark Sells

Oregon Herald Source: Oregon Herald

A Brazilian "Scarface"

July 23, 2004 Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews

| Comments (15)

Louis Proyect

rec.arts.movies.reviews

At a full-throttle pace and exciting from beginning to end, directors Lund and Meirrelles grab hold of your attention and don't let go.

June 25, 2004 Full Review Source: Film-Forward.com

| Comment

Kent Turner

Film-Forward.com

Directors K�tia Lund and Fernando Meirelles stir all the cinematic virtues into this finely-crafted narrative.

June 13, 2004 Full Review Source: Low IQ Canadian

| Comment

Martin Scribbs

Low IQ Canadian Source: Low IQ Canadian

4 Academy Award nominations didn't earn City of God a deluxe DVD

June 11, 2004 Full Review Source: Movie Habit

| Comment

Marty Mapes

Movie Habit

...an unforgettable portrait of a despicable existence, where drugs are everywhere and children murder one another with abandon.

June 8, 2004 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis

| Comment

John J. Puccio

Movie Metropolis

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Cidade de Deus (City of God)

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Disturbing does not come close to describing some of the scenes in this film, but what's even more disturbing is the fact that many of those scenes happen every day in some places.

May 11, 2011

Idrees Khan

Super Reviewer

City Of God accounts a photojournalist's first-hand true story narrative on the roots and cycle of crime and violence and the ironic cruelties of life set Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Shocking, disturbing, and devastating epic, yet powerful and compelling. A staggering masterpiece.

September 10, 2011

Jan Marc Macababayao

Super Reviewer

Cidade de Deus (City of God) Quotes

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1. Buscap� (Rocket): It was like a message from God: "Honesty doesn't pay, sucker."
– Submitted by Chris P (9 months ago)
1. Z� Pequeno (Lil' Z�): Where do you want to take the shot? In the hand or in the foot?
– Submitted by Chris P (9 months ago)