2003, R, 130 minutes

The "City of God" is a local name for a specific slum region of Rio de Janeiro, and with all of its death, drugs, and destruction, it might as well be a hundred miles from the sandy beaches and charming cafes you see in postcards. The story follows a handful of unique and interesting characters during the late 1960's and early 70's, but the film itself is more about the urban jungle they live in and how it was created. Think of it as a younger, more violent, less predictable, and extremely chaotic version of The Godfather II, and only then will you be able to grasp the remarkable, raw intensity of City of God.

After a brief glimpse of the future ghetto, the story takes us back in time to show us the City of God and its relatively humble beginnings. There are rows upon rows of shacks for peasants to live in, and although they don't have pavement, running water or electricity, it was supposed to be the start of a new, better place for the homeless and poor. Before long, gangs of teenage boys and young adults are robbing delivery trucks and nearby stores, and while the police do attempt to create a sense of consequence, this jungle of youth and desire explodes and the city's first monster rises from the ashes.

Over time drugs become the central focus, and after less than a decade the once promising rows of houses have crumbled into a wasteland of violence and death. Our narrator, a teenage boy named Rocket, is not so much the focus of the film as he is a tour-guide, and at one point he quite appropriately compares it to living in Vietnam. He doesn't cry or feel depressed about the horrible events surrounding him - not because he's heartless, but because this is all he has ever known. More than just a showcase of bloodshed, the fascinating story reveals how a government's lack of concern towards a segment of its population can lead to devastating and inconceivable results. Worse yet, under such circumstances, only a few souls will be able to make something out of their lives, if they're lucky.

The sheer authenticity of City of God is incredible, documenting a true story that most of the world still doesn't know about but should definitely try to learn from. We see numerous characters that are all very different products of their society, and while some appear to be naturally consumed by evil, many more have no other choice but to join the circle of gangs and war, or at least commit petty crimes if they can get away with it. The cinematography and direction are perhaps a little too jerky at times and could have been less flashy, but the screenplay is so immensely engaging that it never becomes a real distraction.

What I enjoyed most about the film is how it captures that perfect balance between character and environment. At the beginning we follow one individual, who then engages in an event causing us to follow another individual, which at first seems like nothing more than a string of tangents, but by the time the story settled into itself I began to understand what it was doing. The aim isn't to tell his or her story, but all of their stories - the combination allowing for a grisly portrait of a chaotic, hopeless world.

City of God is easily one of the best foreign films I've ever seen and is unquestionably one of the best movies of the year. Behind the gore and violence lies an insightful and honest story that demonstrates the formation of a drug-induced community of crime and how it develops until the point of self-destruction. The fact that in Rio this cycle is led by children only makes it that much more disturbing.