Analysis Of City Of God

The City of God depicts the lives of those living in poverty of the favelas outside Rio de Janerio, Brazil during the 60’s and 70’s. The City of God’s director, Fernando Meirelles, directed this film, based on a true story and his experience as a Brazilian youth to recreate the tale organically. Throughout the narration of the movie, life in the favelas seems to be average and an inconsequential experience that must be undergone in mainstream society. Meirelles follows the development of a generation of boys, and how the different paths they choose dictate whether these boys escape the favelas, and the poverty and violence associated with them.

Rocket explains in the opening scene of, The City of God that as the elite gained more wealth,

The Trio, regularly hold up gas trucks at gunpoint, robbing the driver and giving away tanks of gas to the neighborhood and later disperse some of money to the younger boys. The majority of their crimes are not serious and the trio spend a large portion of their time recreationally using marijuana, and avoiding jobs. The notable difference between the trio and the later developing gangs is the Trio’s crimes involved merely the threat of physical violence as they largely abstained from seriously hurting people. The Trio decide that to gain enough money to escape the favelas, they need to move onto bigger crimes, like robbing a rich man’s house. Instead, the Trio use Shaggy’s little brother, Lil’ Ze’s idea to rob a motel, the last act the three of them would complete together. The hotel robbery turned murder becomes infamous and the cops actively search for the trio, forcing them into

While two police men search for the Trio in the woods, one persuades the other to rob and kill the teens who stole from the hotel, justifying it as the teens are low lives and society would be done a favor. Goose and Clipper hear this while hiding in the treetops and Clipper has a revelation that he does not want to die and decides that he is done being a hood. Goose attempts to stop Clipper, saying that the cops are still looking for them, Clipper starts walking to the church anyway. By a miracle from God, the cops kill an innocent worker instead of Clipper, and plant a gun in the deceased hand to cover their tracks, so they do not have to admit error.

When Lil’ Ze’ came of age he was the most well respected hood in Rio. He and Benny had respect and power but lacked money, therefore they decided to take over the drug industry. Under Lil’ Ze’ the favelas underwent a short period of exceptional violence where Lil’ Ze’ eliminated anyone who opposed him, and enjoyed the violence. After that, the favelas were peaceful because Lil’ Ze’ instituted a no raping, killing or robbing policy. The police overlooked the drug trade so long as Lil’ Ze’ gave them money to do