City Of God Theme

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The City of God depicts the lives of those living in the 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, on the basis a true story in combination with his experiences as a Brazilian youth to accurately create this film. Meirelles focuses film around the development of a generation of boys, and how the different choices they make dictate if they escape the favelas, and the lifestyle of poverty and violence associated with it. Much of Brazil’s current populace lives in favelas and face similar tribulations those in the City of God. As the Brazilian elite gained more wealth, the impoverished were pushed to the outskirts of towns and into slums called,…show more content…
While two police officers 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 are hiding above the officers in the tree tops while the officers talk, and Clipper has a revelation that he does not want to die and decides that he is done being a hood. Clipper climbs down from the tree, despite Goose’s objections and begins starts walking to the church. By a miracle from God, the cops kill an innocent worker, thinking he was a robber and sparing Clipper his life. Rather than admit their error, the police plant a gun in the hand of the deceased and deem it a justified shooting, Clipper joins the church and escapes the favelas for good…show more content…
Rocket followed the advice of his father and took a job delivering newspapers, as a stepping stone to becoming a photographer, his dream. The photos Rocket took of Lil’ Ze’ and his gang accidentally became published by the newspaper, and much to Rocket’s surprise, Lil’ Ze’ is thrilled. Due to Rocket's unique ability to freely roam the favelas, the paper offers him a job. Ironically, Rockets’ livelihood and ability to escape the favelas becomes intertwined with his ability to take quality photographs of the gang and the violence he wants to escape. The City of God gives context and a story to the history and development of the favelas into what they currently are today. Rocket, Lil’ Ze and the Tender Trio all wanted to change their lives and circumstances into something greater than the favelas. Clipper accomplishes that through the church and Rocket using his photography. Options allow those living within the favelas the ability to shape their lives to become more than a gang member and to have the freedom to choose if they want to leave the
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