so..

I was listening to a song by Portishead, and saw a dubstep remix...and then had been listening to many dubstep remixes. This one made me think of the film City of God. And it's more than just the rhythmic African drums, or signature Latin piano that took me there. It's vibrant and lovely, but the words of the song has this kind of yearning and longing. That is the world that was painted before me in this film. It's about life in Rio de Janero, Brazil. It is a place I have never been but I feel (at least to some degree I understand their pain). The pain that happens when you live in poverty, when you see the people you love make the wrong choices. The lives that people lead when surrounded by those that are wrought with drug addiction and gang life. There is this kind of hopelessness, and feverishness. They choose these things and are fanatic because of them, whether amidst the highs of ecstasy, or the lows of withdraw. I feel this almost goes without saying, but I'm making note anyways.... this is a violent film. But I urge you to look past that, and just fast forward or mute or close your eyes to the couple of really bad scenes.






But somehow in that poverty and violence there are still beautiful moments that shine and glimmer through it all. It's almost as if when your poor you have this understanding that living in the moment is your only choice. And you can either to choose to live it miserably, or live it as amazingly as possible. Of course some people get this confused with living carelessly. Whereas middle class concerns of work life and doing what is considered proper often puts people in this perpetual limbo, this stale mate. And there always dreams of "tomorrow" of the time when those people will finally act on what they wish, or what they're feeling or do something remotely enjoyable.



Although there are flaws to both coins when it comes to how one chooses to live one's life... City of God takes you on a journey of a romanticized yet heavy chaos.