City of God

If you run you're dead...if you stay, you're dead again. Period.

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If you run they'll catch you.If you stay they'll eat you.

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If you run it will get you. If you stay it will eat you.

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15 miles from paradise...one man will do anything to tell the world everything.

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Based on a true story.

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If you run it will get you. If you stay it will eat you.

Summary :

Brazil, 1960's, City of God. The Tender Trio robs motels and gas trucks. Younger kids watch and learn well...too well. 1970's: Li'l Zé has prospered very well and owns the city. He causes violence and fear as he wipes out rival gangs without mercy. His best friend Bené is the only one to keep him on the good side of sanity. Rocket has watched these two gain power for years, and he wants no part of it. Yet he keeps getting swept up in the madness. All he wants to do is take pictures. 1980's: Things are out of control between the last two remaining gangs...will it ever end? Welcome to the City of God.

Memorable quotes for City of God :

• Buscapé:  [after Dadinho kills many people in a motel] That night, Dadinho killed his dream of kill. 

Zé Pequeno: Where do you want to take the shot? In the hand or in the foot?  

• Rocket: What should have been swift revenge turned into an all out war. The City of God was divided. You couldn't go from one section the other, not even to visit a relative. The cops considered anyone living in the slum a hoodlum. People got used to living in Vietnam, and more and more volunteers signed up to die. 

Boy 1: The big deal is dope, you got it?
Boy 2: If you wanna be a dealer, you gotta start as a delivery boy, see?
Boy 1: This delivery boy business is real bullshit. The time it takes being a delivery boy, then security and then manager, is way too long.
Boy 2: What you gonna do? You've gotta wait for them to die...
Boy 1: No way! I'll do it just like Pequeno did: you gotta whack everyone and that's it!

Gangster films always seem to make for good dramas (e.g. the Godfather, Goodfellas), where the culture of evil almost always triumphs as the dominant character. This film is no different, but it shows the life of children in places where bribery and corruption reigns supreme. It also shows the bravery of many of these people when even the government won't stick up for them.

If you're thinking of starting to watch some foreign language films, this is a good place to start. It is a classic IMO among films made in languages besides English. I did find that the subtitles in this film were done rather poorly (they displayed on my DVD player at the wrong times and it took a few plays to figure out who was saying what.) But I think the film itself is a truly great film.