Read the synopsis et al on the official site... I won't repost my own version as its not worth it even for a few extra keystrokes
Interestingly, the timing of the release coincides with Gangs of New York. I haven't seen GoNY yet, but I imagine that the film has both strong contrasts and similarities with Cidade de Deus. On the one hand, you have a film from a big name director, with big name actors and a big budget. And on the other you have one from a little known Brazilian director with a few little known actors and very little advertising. Perhaps Cidade de Deus has been released now in order to ride on the back of GoNYs success.
I'm a bit dubious about Scorcese these days. The "do what I want and I wanna get payed" attitude has become a reality and paradoxically that means he has to make more trade offs (i.e. casting the uninspiring DeCaprio as a 12 year old hood with a drawn-on mustache - or so it appears from the posters). I like Scorsese's films but one thing I am sure of without seeing this new one is that it ain't gowna be no Raging Bull. The comparison is going to be made, it is a benchmark film within the genre.
The first director I thought of when I was told about Cidade de Deus was, unavoidably, Scorcese. Fernando Meirelles (director) also grew up in the city which provides the subjects for his film, but unlike Scorcese, Meirelles is from the middle classes. I don't doubt that Meirelles greatly appreciates Scorcese's films and has been influenced by them to a certain degree, but the presentation of the story of the Cidade de Deus is very much his own.
In the opening moments of the film you are dropped into violent, frenzied world of knives, guns, hoods, police cars and... chickens. Within 30 seconds, I was completely drawn in and suitably prepared for what was to come. All that remained was to adjust to the breakneck pace of the visuals whilst reading the subtitles. Cidade de Deus may just make your eyes water from the effort - if you see it in the cinema, choose your seats carefully
The highy developed sense of photographic composition becomes apparent very quickly - these guys really know how to use cameras! If you are anything like me (i.e. a human with eyes) then this will pretty assure you that you are in for one of the greatest film trips in recent years. There is one particular scene which is ingrained in my mind where the cinematography really does hit the peak of jaw dropping-ness... All without using computer animation
Halfway through, my eyes began to play up and I wondered why... I was unaware that they were straining to keep up. I found the film completely absorbing (apart from the odd physical distraction
). Most of the action takes place in flashback and the linkage between the development of the different characters in brilliant in its depth and subtlety - I am sure I missed many 'small' things - all acheiving during the sometimes very swift changes of focus from one character to another.Most of the actors aren't formally trained. The crew wanted to really get inside the Cidade de Deus so they went 'across the tracks' and drew the cast from the streets themselves. Whilst watching, the fact that most of the cast recieved very little training is the last thing on your mind, they are all superb. I guess that camera training was one of priorities, but for a director like Meirelles who goes to the action rather than bringing it to him, this won't have been as much of an issue as it could be. There is definate documentary slant there (as with one of the main characters and the story itself as a whole), but he doesn't keep this in your face...
I could go on, but... Check out the site and go see the film whilst its still on at the pics!
UCG has actually surprised me a lot recently, they've been playing NIN documentaries, This Is Spinal Tap, and so on. Interesting.
