City of God

City of God

Violence, drugs and killing is what described the atmosphere of City of God, a movie directed by Fernando Meirelles. Brazil, being the location where the movie was filmed is based on a true story. Having that in mind, it is hard to believe that Rio de Janeiro, known for being a stunning city, could have a subdivision like City of God. Beat-up, rough and poor are verbs that describe the composition of the city. Above and beyond, they are words that frankly reveal the way development, landscape and transportation planning has grown to be in this province.

In the nineteen seventies, development planning does not appear to exist in this region of Rio de Janeiro. Nor does it show or give an indication of renovation towards the community. In fact, it gives the impression that natural devastations occur in this place every month and giving no time to repair the construction. Lil Ze's and Carrot's drug dealing apartments are good examples that exemplify the above. The abandon apartments illustrate the poor structure preservation that it has been left into. As a result, street gangs have taken over these raggedy buildings and converting them into a different use.

In the nineteen sixties the only substantial landscape perceived in the movie was when Clipper and Goose ran to the forest area, just outside of the community, while being hunted by the police. In the nineteen seventies, the landscape placed all through the city, had been killed due to pavement cover up and no preservation. Director, Fernando Meirelles, clearly reveals that with his opening scene. The young kids chasing after the chicken through alleys and streets, was a good way to expose the need of surrounding landscape.

Transportation planning is not any better than the other planning issues discussed above. In deed, there was no means of public transportation in the sixties as the film evidently affirms. As the seventies arrived, means of civic transportation became available. However, it was not the most comfortable or safest ride for the citizens to experience. Furthermore, this city appears to be isolated from any other larger city; consequently transportation is not much needed. To enhance, civilians riding bicycles through the streets and alleys was an example exhibited in the film as an alternative means of traveling from point "a" to point "b".