The first moment of the film shows us a swaggering gangster preparing food somewhere in the Favella of Rio de Janeiro. A knife scrapes across a whetstone, a chicken is plucked, fabulously atmospheric music plays in the background and a second chicken makes a break for his life! A chase ensues, the poor chicken being pursued by a whole gang of hoods, armed to the teeth, and the frenzy stops with our hero (Rocket) being caught between heavily armed Policemen, the chicken and the hoods. Violence seems inevitable, and things look bad for Rocket...
From this point of suspense we re-wind to the sixties. We are introduced to the City Of God itself...the omnipresent character in the movie. The carefully laid out buildings are reminiscent of a battery farm, and we soon find that criminality is evidently 'designed in'. The local youths (including Rocket's brother) are involved in petty crime, and the crime is of little interest or consequence to anyone. In fact we are quickly shown that crime is the only real option to get out of the Favella. Football is the other, but the ball is shot by one of the criminals, highlighting how difficult that route is.
Against this background, Li'l Dice organises an armed raid on a brothel (he must be about 7 or 8). In a fit of pique caused by his being left outside the Motel, he goes into the building after the criminals have left, and shoots everyone dead. He is on his way (via shooting Rocket's brother) to becoming Li'l Ze, the boss of the gangs of the Favella. At the same time Rocket realises that he cannot be a gangster (he's scared of being shot) and talks of becoming a photographer.
But Rocket cannot escape. He tries to work, but earns nothing, and loses his job. He tries crime, but is no good at it. The City drags him back all the time. He does better than others however. Benny (Li'l Ze's partner) is shot at the point when he is preparing to leave, Knockout Ned is dragged into the violence of a turf war, and so on. The slaughter continues with no intervention from the corrupt police, continually destroying the lives of the residents of the City, continually drawing more and more residents into the battle.
Eventually Rocket's life in the Favella itself becomes the key to the exit door. He can take pictures where no other photographer would ever dare to go, and it is this that takes us back to the police, the chicken and the gang! The ensuing, climactic battle sees revenge being taken, the gang leaders arrested, the police corruption, and Li'l Ze being killed. Li'l Ze is killed by the young kids, much as he has killed Rocket's brother, and the cycle of drugs, territory and violence starts again, imprisoning the next generation.
The film is brilliantly shot, linking subject matter and events into an excellent whole, and is complimented by fantastic sound effects creating a really credible (and Brazilian) view of the slums in which the action is set. The shocking reality of the children running the criminal gangs is well handled (Rocket and Li'l Ze's virginity lies in stark contrast to the experiences no adult would expect to ever see) and underscores what is both a touching, and terribly shocking film.
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