City Of God Analysis

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City of God is a 2002 movie about a poor neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. The movie tells the story of the City of God from Rocket his viewpoint. Rocket grew up around several gangs, yet he never went to join one. Many in the City of God join a gang in order to earn the money needed to eventually leave. Even those who do not want to be in a gang and stay away from it do not escape the violence that comes the gangs. Rocket says “In the City of God, if you run away, they get you and if you stay they get you too” (3:50). The movie continuously shows people who want to leave, yet they often die before they get the chance. In the movie, City of God, the characters want to leave the city of god, yet they are almost always unable to do so, which is because of the violence that comes from the gangs. That the people in the City of God are unable to leave their neighborhood, portrays that ending gang violence in such a neighborhood is hardly possible. The citizens of the City of God are not able to leave as the result of the violence that comes from the gangs. One example of a gang and the violence that they are surrounded by is the Tender Trio, of whom two of the three members end up dead. Another example is Benny, who is ready to leave the gang that he formed with Lil Zé. Even though Benny had earned enough money by selling drugs, he is never able to leave the City of God, as he is eventually killed when he is planning to leave. Even though some do not die, they are never able to