City of God

Started by budgie, January 09, 2003, 01:43:15 PM

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SoNowThen

Quote from: Onomatopoeiaa sensationalist docudrama with annoying camerawork, film trickery, and other filmic techniques

Hmm, that's a shame, because I thought that this was finally the one movie that took the whole mtv hyper generation music video style and perfectly integrated it so that it became transcendent -- and surely a proper leap forward in this kind of film language.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

foray

I too think it employed the mtv-style techniques in a marvellous way, in a way not at all pretentious. Remember when the world saw Baz Luhrmann's R + J for the first time? Well, I think City of God is different because the mtv-style (as it is popularly dubbed) has been used in a more seamless way. It was not surprise for me to learn that the director of City used to make tv commercials.

I loved the (dark) humour; as when the likeable hoodlum tells Lil Ze, after Lil Ze's rant about killing everyone, he needs to get himself a woman.

Mentions about the editing also intrigued me. At the start of the film, the knife that is being sharpened is literally cutting the film reel, cutting up the images for us. That itself was a chilling scene even though there was no violence at all.


foray
touch me i'm sick

Sanjuro

hey Onomatopoeia
i think you need to watch it again. first time i watched it i thought it was good but i couldnt seem to see why it was so great. my mind was just following this one track thinking about the film... second time i watched i realized wow i i havent seem a film this good in a long time and was kicking myself for underrating it.  it really is milestone in film making. maybe upon second viewing youll like it better:P
"When you see your own photo, do you say you're a fiction?"

©brad

it goes w/o saying that i'll be blind buying this one.

godardian

Quote from: ©bradit goes w/o saying that i'll be blind buying this one.

Yeah, me too. The acclaim here reached a roar long ago; otherwise, I hadn't heard of this one.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

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Pwaybloe

I'm just glad I caught it while it was in town for that one week.  One week!

I'd hesitate for anyone who hasn't seen it to "blind buy" it.  It's a really, really good movie, but it wasn't a religious experience for me.

I mean, if a movie doesn't get me to join a cult, y'know you have to rethink, "was it as good as people say?"  I don't know.  I just drink the red kool-aid when I'm told.

Gold Trumpet

Quote from: godardian
Quote from: ©bradit goes w/o saying that i'll be blind buying this one.

Yeah, me too. The acclaim here reached a roar long ago; otherwise, I hadn't heard of this one.

I don't think you'll really like it, Godardian. The acclaim of this film is in the filmmaking and how it roars so loud that it could even tame Oliver Stone at his wildest. I'd suggest renting it first.

Jeremy Blackman

Quote from: godardianYeah, me too. The acclaim here reached a roar long ago; otherwise, I hadn't heard of this one.

It's more political than most people are letting on... I think you'd love it.

Speaking of holocaust movies, this would have been a good one. (if that makes sense)

SoNowThen

Godardian likes good movies, and so, should like this.

Blind buy away. It's a gem.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Gold Trumpet

Quote from: SoNowThenGodardian likes good movies, and so, should like this.

Blind buy away. It's a gem.

Ever hear Godardian's opinion on Oliver Stone?

JB, how do you see this really as a political movie? I see it touching on a hot button issue for Brazil, but I don't see it as political.

SoNowThen

Stone's only made a few great films.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Gold Trumpet

Quote from: SoNowThenStone's only made a few great films.

Yea, but he wasn't impressed with even JFK.

SoNowThen

:shock:




....oh.... well... that's just wrong
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

©brad

Quote from: The Gold Trumpet
Ever hear Godardian's opinion on Oliver Stone?

JB, how do you see this really as a political movie? I see it touching on a hot button issue for Brazil, but I don't see it as political.

all movies are political.

godardian

Quote from: ©brad
Quote from: The Gold Trumpet
Ever hear Godardian's opinion on Oliver Stone?

JB, how do you see this really as a political movie? I see it touching on a hot button issue for Brazil, but I don't see it as political.

all movies are political.

In a way, I completely agree with this.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.