The opening quick-edit montage in which a camera chases a chicken hectically around the dirt-ridden alleyways of a Rio de Janerio slums establish immediately the flair for style Fernando Meirelles and co-director Katia Lund had at their disposal - Brazilian film City of God looks like the kind of film Guy Ritchie would like to make if he had just a little bit more talent. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Paulo Lins, City of God shows the violence and corruption of illicit drugs at its most extreme and debased, exploring a world where absolutely no one is safe from its influence and children possess the same degree of ruthlessness and ambition as the adults. In the Brazilian favelas such as these life is at its cheapest, massacres are a part of every day life and escaping to a new life seems impossible. Shot with a degree of virtuosity few directors can match, City of God is a visceral experience which throws the audience into the fray head first and expects them to cling on for survival. It also has moments of beauty which feel almost surreal against the backdrop of aggression and bloodshed, and the cast of non-professional actors adds to its raw vitality. Agree or disagree with the choices in this list? Why not post a comment below?
