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The stylistic depiction of the development in the former capital city, Rio de Janeiro, sent shock waves through the world of cinema. The realism of the youth that grew up in crime and poverty would go on to rule the streets and make names for themselves. Brazilian films often express the culture’s love of music, movement, and the human body.
Though a military coup in the country brought a tough time for the new wave in the late sixties, incorporating heavy restrictions on the content that could be produced. Films like City of God helped to show the corruption that pervaded the country. The films listed are in the same vein as City of God, dealing with the sociopolitical systems that influenced the people and the culture.
10 ‘Invisible Life’ (2019)
Directed by Karim Aïnouz
Eurídice and Guida are two sisters that live in the patriarchal society of the forties and fifties in São Paulo. They are separated due to the father’s disapproval of Guida’s romantic decisions, taking the sisters on two similar and distant life paths. The melodrama presents the struggles of dissociation in a perspective unseen.
As the sisters struggle with their personal challenges of societal expectations and the search for a shared connection, the movie explores the themes of love, family, and the resilience of women. This commentary is another part of the equation that brings a new perspective to films like City of God but also the culture in general. The director Karim Aïnouz is a force in the Brazillian film community, going to screenwriting labs across the United States to give his understanding of the medium to film students coming up.
Invisible Life
- Release Date
- November 19, 2019
- Director
- Karim Ainouz
- Rating
- R
- Runtime
- 139
- Main Genre
- Drama
9 ‘Central Station’ (1998)
Directed by Walter Salles
Through the journey of Dora, a former school teacher writes letters for illiterate people at the Central Train Station in Rio de Janeiro. Gaining an unusual relationship with a boy looking to find his estranged father, he takes the pair on a trip through Brazil’s remote landscapes.
Part of City of God’s narrative structure spans multiple decades, jumping in time to create a fuller context of Rio’s changing culture. Central Station employs a similar feeling though they use the assembly of different locations to create a greater perspective of the country’s social and economic disparities as well as a story of self-discovery and human connection.
8 ‘Neighboring Sounds’ (2012)
Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho
The drama unfolds inside a middle-class residential neighborhood in Recife, Brazil. Focusing on the lives of the different residents and the security guards in the apartment that help guard the streets. The film comes from a former reporter and film critic/journalist, Kleber Mendonça Filho.
The film explores the urban life of Brazilian residents dealing with class tensions and the anxiety that occurs when feeling insecure of one’s status or place in the connotative world. As characters go about their day, the security guards bring out the hidden desires of the community, offering a unique perspective on the social issues that are rapidly changing in urban environments.
7 ‘The Man of the Year’ (2003)
Directed by José Henrique Fonseca
Taking place over the course of 24 hours, this stylized piece all comes to a head after the main character makes his hair blonde. The movie follows a skilled hitman, ruthless in nature, becoming a local hero and admired for his acts of violence. The films’ essence feels like a Wong Kar Wai or Coen Brothers story in that the narrative takes dramatic turns over the course of happenstance, accident, and the motives of the main character.
This film understands the paradoxes of our internal battles with morals. As the community celebrates him, his identity begins to shift. This exploration of identity through violence and blurred lines of heroism and criminality is a thought-provoking theme that also has roots in other works such as City of God. Our actions in the violent world catch up.
6 ‘Cinema, Aspirins, and Vultures’ (2005)
Directed by Marcelo Gomes
A road trip movie set in the background of rural Brazil during World War II follows two main characters, Johann and Ranulphio, as they travel and traverse the landscape to sell aspirin. From director Marcelo Gomes, a collaborator with Karim Aïnouz, is a history-based story that allows room for the hysterics of the characters’ aspirations and the historical context of the era.
The film explores diverse friendships, much like that of Benny and Lil’Ze. The unlikely pair encounter challenges, making them form a unique bond. The film shows the impact of war on different individuals, cultures, and communities around Brazil, highlighting the dynamic world that is changing while highlighting the power of the human condition. The film emphasizes the relationships and values that the culture entails.
5 ‘Entranced Earth’ (1967)
Directed by Glauber Rocha
Through the world of poet and journalist Paulo Martins is a political drama delving into the complexities of politics, power, and revolution in a colonized state. Paulo, himself, becomes entangled in the turmoil the nation faces, sparking his dedication.
Paulo is a character seeking truth. He attempts to navigate the climate only through trial and error, shifting allegiances of corruption and ideological conflicts. Through Paulo’s struggle, viewers see how hard social justice is in the face of authoritarianism. Entranced Earth uses a genuine poetic narrative that makes it a significant piece for Brazilian Cinema and a reflection on the country’s socio-political realities.
4 ‘Twenty Years Later’ (1984)
Directed by Eduardo Coutinho
Twenty Years Later is a follow-up to an earlier documentary called Man Marked for Death, originally filmed in the sixties but was banned from releasing due to political reasons. The 1984 film revisits the same subjects and locations from the original documentary about the experiences of rural peasants organizing a better form of life in the aftermath of a military coup.
The documentaries offer a unique perspective on a marginalized group of people in Brazil’s culture. The doc brings knowledge of Brazilian history as well as the country’s politics and social change during a tumultuous period. The highlight of ordinary people provides an insight into how political events can impact the lives of those who you wouldn’t think could be affected. Though a documentary, it plays like a drama as these real life events are given in exposition. Seeing the juxtaposition from years later gives the documentary a retrospective look at the events that took place as people look back.
3 ‘The Given Word’ (1962)
Directed by Anselmo Duarte
The film tells the story of a poor farmer who makes a promise to carry a heavy cross to a local church as an act of faith and gratitude for his recovering donkey. Upon reaching the church, he faces backlash because of a mix of religious and political conflicts surrounding his actions. The filmmaker, Anselmo Duarte, worked as a reporter and writer for a finance newspaper where he began to understand the political and social situation of the country.
Exploring the themes of faith, superstition, and social dynamics makes the farmer Zé do Burro an infamous figure. Considered one of the most significant films in Brazilian history, the protagonist’s battle against prominent institutions remains an important work to be revisited. The faith portrayed in the film is a unique look into how another culture views traditional values and makes them their own. Like Bergman, the importance of religion and spirituality doesn’t take over the narrative but rather sets the stage for the narrative to take place.
2 ‘Black Orpheus’ (1959)
Directed by Marcel Camus
A modern retelling of the Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice, set in the (then) modern Rio de Janeiro during a vibrant Carnival. During which, audiences see the romantic relationship between a streetcar conductor and a musician. The director Marcel Camus created other films in the 50s and 60s in Brazil that jumped around in genre.
The film is a love story intertwined with some of the most beautiful elements of Brazilian culture, including their music and dancing. The contrast between the joyful festivities and the internal struggles of the characters brings themes of fate with an etherealness, making the film universal and a favorite of cinephiles. It harnesses the energy of City of God in ways unlike other films on this list, with bold costume design and sweeping camera shots.
1 ‘Pixote’ (1980)
Directed by Hector Babenco
Pixote may be the film closest in relation to City of God. The film portrays a stark and gritty reality to what the children on the streets of São Paulo face. From director, Hector babenco, the film follows a young boy named Pixote as he becomes indoctrinated into a life of crime after escaping from a corrupt juvenile detention center. The boy is placed amognst many situations a child should never have to experience, yet was and still is the reality for some children today.
This work depicts the conflicts, exploitation, and violence experienced by the growing population of street youths coming into society. Pixote and his companions experience immense trauma as they navigate the crime and abuse held against them. Shedding light on the tragic circumstances of marginalized young people in Brazil. Highlighting the cycle of violence that affects Brazilian communities and culture.
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