“The City of God”

At first glance, one would expect a movie titled "City of God" to show how poverty and marginalization would make criminals of frustrated people. Instead we see how, in an atmosphere of unsupervised chaos, a single charismatic psychopath can hold sway over an entire population with the force of his sick personality. Set on the mean streets of a Rio de Janeiro slum (in the 'Cidade de Deus' housing project), "City of God” is a …

…Some are homeless and all seem to be without parental guidance. This movie is an indication that what drives kids into the gangs is just partly for the money because many are in low-level positions waiting years to rise in the "corporation." The joy of pure violence, of killing with impunity, seems to drive them. One kid sums it all up: "What do you mean, I'm a kid? I kill, I rob, I'm a man!"