Ciudad de Deus (City of God) (R)

I do not usually watch foreign films because the cultural differences are often too much for me to truly appreciate, but this one has me questioning the depth and quality of America's film industry in comparison. The scenes of violence and blood are vivid and realistic, as though it is more a documentary than scripted scenes. It is haunting when a child of no more than seven is crying from a shot to the foot as his life is being subject to an either or choice by another child holding a gun. Children pushed to limits you and I could never know, forced to fight and steal or die and be exploited.
The movie tells the story of a slum on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, a city known for its beauty and history. Gangs of adolescents run the streets through threat of violence while managing drug trade for income. Calling their lifestyles "hood" these boys rise and fall quickly, living until they are struck down by corrupt law enforcement, or assassinated by other gangs. Lives in poverty, where starving dogs roam the streets, where the youth must steal from passing vehicles for gas fuel.
The narrator, a boy witnessing the events of gang violence and drug trade take place in his neighborhood while pursuing his dream of being a photographer. His inside advantage to the crime that plagues his streets allows him opportunities to capture images he sells to a newspaper, eventually establishing himself as a photographer and the chance to earn an honest living.
If you can get pass reading the movie through subtitles, and still catch the subtleties of the films artistry, this movie is a beautiful insight into a hell most of us can never imagine.