Fernando Meirelles’s Oscar-nominated City Of God is a frenetic, intoxicating crime thriller that follows the diverging paths of two young men growing up in a favela where living outside the law is the norm. Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), the more timid of the two, tries to keep his head down and avoid involvement, focusing instead on achieving his dream of becoming a newspaper photographer. Meanwhile, his friend Zé has worked his way up through the criminal ranks, and, largely thanks to his utter ruthlessness and unhesitating use of extreme violence, is now the head of his own drug empire. However, the uneasy peace that exists under Zé’s control of the local trade is broken as a result of his own actions, violence arising from his arrogant complacency, leading to an explosive gang war.

Notes by Kevin Coyne