Doesn't really feel foreign
City of God could just as easily be set in the slums of Detroit or Chicago or New Orleans as Rio. Other than the foreign language and subtitles it could be an American film.
hard core at your door
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MovieChat Forums > Cidade de Deus (2004) Discussion > Doesn't really feel foreign
I live in Detroit. It is in bad economic shape, but it does not compare with the slums portrayed in this movie. Yes, we have serious criminal activity and organized drug crime, but we don't have gangs of children robbing people and/or trying to break into the biz. And as far as I know, adult or even teenage gangsters don't go around shooting little kids as gang initiation. Not ALL of our police are dirty, or racist. We do have black people, but that's about as far as the similarities go.
What seems "American" to you about this film? There is nothing American about those beaches. Also, American gangster films often (usually) have a big moral lesson behind them; this movie seemed very matter-of-fact in its depiction of crime and violence. American films are much more gratuitous concerning violence and sex. Hm. Where was all the nudity and sex?
This isn't the first post I've seen where the OP complains about the "American-ness" of this movie. I really don't see it.
If you look on youtube, or on the News youll see chicago has alot of teens and youthright now that are as young astwelve robbing and murdering people. But to the op its crazy because back when this film came out this film did feel foreign to me because of the style of clothes they wore and how the gangsters in the film wore all about looking clean. But whats crazy is now you can go into almost in hood in america right now and everybody is dressed very similar/same as how the hoodlums are dressed in the film.
shareIn addition... there is no U.S. city with gangs engaging in full-on machine gun fights on the streets as if they are in a rain forest in the middle of a political war. This happens in parts of Asia, the Middle East, Russia, Brazil, and I imagine in other places. I've never seen or heard of a city here in the U.S. with an all-out war of gang members advancing all the streets with automatic weapons in brought daylight in guerrilla warfare fashion as if there's no such thing as a police force.
Detroit is indeed the only place I've heard of in the U.S. that comes close to such horror, with Chicago close behind.
I'm not a control freak, I just like things my way
I´m from São Paulo (BR) and I can tell you there is a huge difference between your reality (US or western European cities) in comparison with some Brazilian cities.
Even thought there is poverty over there (I´ve been to some american cities), there is no way of comparing it to Brazilian reality. So much more social inequality.
People here walk looking back at any strange noise or movement they feel or hear. I didnt feel like this at all over there.
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I've lived in Chicago and you're completely wrong.
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=14spme0&s=8#.U_XRd2K9KK0
When I say it doesn't really feel foreign that's not a complaint. I find it very interesting when a foreign film doesn't seem so foreign.
hard core at your door
I'm from New Orleans my brother. New Orleans is nowhere near this movie in terms of violence. I'm 36 years old and have never seen anyone fire a gun in my life, and I've been all around. Right place, right time I guess. It happens here, but a slum? No, it's never been as bad as a whole as this movie depicts.
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