Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

City of God Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 20, 2022

Fernando Meirelles' "City of God" (2002) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include the documentary film "News From a Personal War" and a conversation with director Fernando Meirelles. In Portuguese, with imposed English subtitles. Region-Free.

Li'l Ze's soldiers

Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles’ Cidade de Deus a.k.a. City of God spans three decades -- from the late 1960s to the late 1980s -- and follows a group of characters who live in Rio de Janeiro’s favelas. The film is divided into segments and narrated by a young man, Buscape (Alexandre Rodrigues), who dreams of becoming a professional photographer.

The 1960s segment introduces the Tender Trio, a group of young thugs who steal, rob, and kill at will, and one of their admirers, a kid named Dadinho (Douglas Silva). After a supposedly very easy job goes terribly wrong, the Tender Trio are forced to hide in the City of God while Dadinho goes on a killing spree to prove that he is already a man.

The 1970s segment introduces the merciless drug lord Li'l Ze (Leandro Firmino) and his partner Bene (Phellipe Haagensen), who have people working for them all over City of God. Li'l Ze does not get along with Carrot (Matheus Nachtergaele), who controls a very small part of City of God, but cannot eliminate him because he is a good friend of Bene. During a wild night out in City of God, Li'l Ze rapes the girlfriend of Knockout Ned (Seu Jorge), a local playboy, who immediately joins Carrot's gang. Meanwhile, Bene is killed, and war breaks out on the streets of City of God. Buscape starts taking pictures.

The final segment in the film is about a lot of different thugs getting killed, and Buscape becoming a professional photographer. In the final third of the film, Buscape's pictures are published in a large local newspaper, and the names of the biggest drug lords in City of God are made public.

Based on Paulo Lins’ novel, Meirelles' City of God is a film that moves at an incredible speed. There are numerous flashbacks in it - most appearing at very unusual places. There is also an enormous amount of hand-held camera footage, which creates a real sense of claustrophobia.

Except for Buscape, none of the main characters in City of God are likable. They feel distant and doomed. Once the violence begins, one gets the feeling that it is only a matter of time before one character is replaced with another.

The visual stylization at times suffocates the narrative. For example, some of the most memorable parts of the film are fractured into little pieces that look like violent video clips. Elsewhere, the hand-held camerawork and fancy cuts and zooms are completely out of control.

The drama in City of God works best when everything is kept simple, from the narration to the visuals. When Buscape quietly explains why people die in City of God, it is easy to believe him. Elsewhere, the fear that one can detect in his voice is a lot more effective than the graphic killings Meirelles’ camera shows.

City of God is not the only film about life in the favelas to gain critical acclaim. In 2008, Jose Padilha’s Tropa de Elite a.k.a Elite Squad won the prestigious Golden Berlin Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film's realistic depiction of police brutality, however, also prompted some well-known critics to dismiss it as a celebration of violence and fascism.

*In 2002, City of God won the Visions Award - Special Citation (Fernando Meirelles) at the Toronto International Film Festival. A year later, the film won six Cinema Brazil Grand Prize awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

City of God Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, City of God arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The only other release of City of God that I have in my library is this Region-B release, which StudioCanal produced in 2011. This recent release appears to have been sourced from the same master that the folks at StudioCanal worked with, which carries the Miramax logo.

More than a decade later, I think that this master still treats City of God well. I do not see any major issues on it. Yes, because of its age some of its limitations are even easier to identify now, but the intended stylization, which is quite diverse, makes it easy to ignore as well. What are some of these limitations? In some areas, there is a sporadic softness that isn't inherited. The darker areas, in particular, should convey better detail as well. I think that some highlights could be managed significantly better, but to be completely honest evaluating the color balance and the stylization at the same time is awfully difficult. Simply put, there is a lot of intentional "degrading" of certain areas whose purpose is to introduce uneven highlights, darker nuances, etc. Image stability is very good. I did notice a few tiny specks, but they blend with the stylization quite well. Ultimately, if the film is remastered today, it will undoubtedly look fresher. However, given the nature of the stylization, it is very difficult to tell just how much better the entire film might, or can, look on Blu-ray. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

City of God Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Portuguese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and Portuguese LPCM 2.0. Yellow English subtitles are included and cannot be turned off via the main menu or the remote control.

Clarity, sharpness, and dynamic intensity are very good. There is plenty of good surround movement as well. Now, balance is often very fluid, but this is how the original soundtrack of City of God was finalized. Is there room for improvement? I have always felt that during the chaotic mass footage some adjustments could produce even greater results, but at the time when we covered the first Canadian release and then StudioCanal's release Dolby Atmos was not available. So, I have to speculate that a brand new Dolby Atmos mix will likely open up City of God even more.

City of God Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• News From A Personal War - an outstanding documentary film about the favelas, the drug industry in Brazil, and the ongoing war between BOPE and the drug lords. The film contains interviews with various drug traffickers and soldiers. In Portuguese and English, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (59 min).

• A Conversation With Fernando Meirelles - director Fernando Meirelles explains what inspired him to shoot City of Good. In Portuguese and English, with imposed English subtitles where necessary. (11 min).

• Trailer - presented here is an original U.S. trailer for City of God originally cut by Miramax. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

City of God Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

You know everything there is to know about City of God and I know that you do not need my encouragement to add it to your library. If you reside in Australia, or elsewhere and need a good and Reigon-Free Blu-ray release of City of God, Via Vision Entertainment's release is it. If the subject matter of City of God interests you, also track down and see Elite Squad and Elite Squad: The Enemy Within. RECOMMENDED.