This week’s film Cidade de Deus takes place in Brazil and focuses on features of Brazil’s shantytowns and the typical lifestyle of the gangs that arise from the poor, economic living of these communities found in Brazil. In the beginning of the film we are introduced to the gang members known as “The Tender Trio” who are role models to the younger children of the town. These youngsters who eventually follow in the footsteps of “The Tender Trio” begin to keep the reputation going with updating their gangs into dealing with drugs, killing, and being well known throughout the city. In the article entitled Labor in the Favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Pino explains the typical life of the subproletariat and the hardships that come with such as working long hours to be paid minimum wage for working 200 hours per month where half of the earnings go to food, rent consists of 20%, 8% on clothing, 12% hygiene, 10% on transportation. The film captures this sense of the true life of a poor Brazilian living in a favela and captures some jobs the typical worker would have been associated with such as that of the fisherman selling fish on the streets. Most workers Pino points out work on jobs such as carpentry for males and domestic household duties for the female, usually jobs were many of these workers are paid under the table.
Oliveira states in his written works the usage of the term “ghetto”and “favela”. He clarify’s his usage of these terms as a general reference tothe housing arrangement of the poor in the metropolitan area of the city of Riode Janeiro. We think of poor, low income, crime related, unemployed, anddeteriation of buildings in the neighborhood when we associate our firstthoughts to the word “ghetto”. The term “favela” to Brazilians does not necessarilycarry the same negative meaning as “ghetto” yet refers to more of the sociallyand politically disorganized type of person. Favela’s also tend to have amixture of racial gender. The film captures the favela’s in the definitionOliveira uses capturing a mixture of race in the characters portrayedthroughout the film. We see skin color from dark skinned to light skin in thecharacters reflecting upon the favela yet keeping a majority of the castmembers to be dark skinned since a majority of black live in the area of thetrue Rio de Janeiro.
Overall, the film is based on a true story and tends tocapture the reality of the favela and the economic disparity of living inBrazil. It ties in the race of not only just blacks but incorporates lightskinned characters as well and gives a reality of what it is like to live in afavela.Although the film is sad inparts of the outcome people must do in order to survive and to see such youngkids starting out in gangs it opens the viewer’s mind into really appreciating life.
