International Cinema
Crime drama
City of God (2003): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
City of God is a 2003 crime drama directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, starring Matheus Nachtergaele and Alexandre Rodrigues. It is partly based on City of God by Paulo Lins and Alison Entrekin. It runs 2 hours 10 minutes and earned $30.7 million worldwide. It won 1 award from 8 nominations, among them 4 Oscar nominations. Critics gave it 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 8.6/10.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 10m (130 min)
- Directors
- Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund
- Original language
-
Portuguese - Studio
- Miramax Films
- After the credits
- Yes Extra scene during or after the credits
The story
What Is City of God About?
The premise of City of God without spoilers, adapted from City of God by Paulo Lins and Alison Entrekin. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Amidst the brutal poverty and drug-fueled violence of Rio de Janeiro’s City of God, a young man seeks a way out. He begins documenting his surroundings with a camera, using photography as a means of survival and a path towards escape. The film chronicles his experiences and the lives of those around him, revealing a desperate struggle for survival in a community where hope is scarce and danger is ever-present.
City of God Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- photographer
- slum
- gang
- brazil
- south america
- latin america
- friendship
- favela
- male nudity
- male frontal nudity
- coming of age
- hood
+38 more Show fewer
- southeast brazil
- male pubic hair
- title directed by female
- brief male frontal nudity
- coming of age drama
- boy
- violence
- criminal
- thug
- motel
- drug dealer
- 1980s
- 1970s
- 1960s
- in medias res
- record player
- armed robbery
- newspaper
- narcissism
- love
- anal sex
- psychopath
- gun dealer
- photojournalism
- gun
- police
- juvenile delinquent
- arms dealer
- organized crime
- shootout
- uncle nephew relationship
- teenage boy
- cult film
- gangster
- gang violence
- crime epic
- male virgin
- journalism
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Cast & crew
City of God Cast
Matheus Nachtergaele leads the cast, with Alexandre Rodrigues. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund.
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Co-director Fernando Meirelles - Co-director Kátia Lund
From the directors
More from Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund
More films directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund, best-rated first: The Two Popes, The Constant Gardener, Blindness and 360.
Ratings
City of God Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave City of God 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 8.6/10.
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IMDb 8.6 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 91% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 97%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 79 Metascore
User score 9.0
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 84% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
City of God Plot Summary
What happens in City of God from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
A chicken attempts to escape from an impending meal, only to find itself pursued by an armed gang within the vibrant yet perilous Favela known as Cidade De Deus (“City of God”). The fleeing chicken stumbles between this ruthless gang and a young man named Rocket, who harbors the belief that the gang is after his life. This dramatic moment triggers a flashback that transports us back to the late 1960s.
Full summary
The whole story of City of God, scene by scene
Box office
City of God Box Office
City of God grossed $30.7 million worldwide. $7.6 million came from the US and Canada and $23.1 million (75%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$30.7M
- US & Canada
- $7.6M
- International
- $23.1M
US & Canada 25%
Rest of the world 75%
Awards
City of God Awards & Nominations
City of God won 1 award from 8 nominations, among them 4 Oscar nominations. Its biggest night was the BAFTA 2003, with 1 win from 1 nomination.
1 win8 nominations5 ceremonies
-
Oscars 2004 4 nominations- Nominated Cinematography
- Nominated Directing – Fernando Meirelles
- Nominated Film Editing
- Nominated Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
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Spirit Awards 2004 1 nomination- Nominated Best Foreign Film
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BAFTA 2003 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Best Editing
-
Golden Globes 2003 1 nomination- Nominated Best Foreign Language Film
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TIFF 2002 1 nomination- Nominated Visions Award - Special Citation – Fernando Meirelles
Videos
City of God Trailers & Videos
11 videos: 1 trailer and 10 clips.
- Clip Man of the Year
- Clip The Tender Trio
- Clip The Turf
- Clip The Getaway
Quiz
How Well Do You Know City of God?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What animal begins the chaotic events in Cidade De Deus?
Details
City of God Also Known As
32 alternative titles, including “Tanrinin Sheheri” and “Guds stad”.
- Also known as
-
- Tanrinin Sheheri
- Guds stad
- เมืองคนเลวเหยียบฟ้า
- 시티 오브 갓
- Miasto Boga
- Cuidad de Dios
- Ciudad de Dios
- مدينة الرب
- Աստծո Քաղաքը
- Jumalan kaupunki
- Tanrı Kent
- La Cité de Dieu
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- 上帝之城
- Isten városa
- Město bohů
- עיר האלוהים
- Город бога
- Місто Бога
- Η Πόλη του Θεού
- Градът на Бога
- Orașul zeilor
- シティ・オブ・ゴッド
- Mesto bohov
- Dievo miestas
- 無法無天
- 無主之城
- Thành Phố Của Chúa
- Božji grad
- Božje mesto
- شهر خدا
- Ciutat de Déu, ღმერთის ქალაქი
- Jumala linn
Seen City of God?
More like this
Movies Like City of God
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including City of God, Rio, 100 Degrees F° and Streets of Glória.
From the blog
Articles About City of God
Our article about City of God: “International Cinema: Exploring Films from Around the World”.
FAQ
City of God FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of City of God, each answered in a sentence.
How long is City of God?
City of God runs 2 hours 10 minutes (130 minutes).
When was City of God released?
City of God was released on January 17, 2003.
Who directed City of God?
City of God was directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund.
More films by Fernando Meirelles Who is in the cast of City of God?
City of God stars Matheus Nachtergaele and Alexandre Rodrigues.
How much did City of God make at the box office?
City of God grossed $30.7 million worldwide ($7.6 million domestic, $23.1 million international).
How is City of God rated?
City of God has 8.6/10 on IMDb, 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 79 on Metacritic and 84% on TMDB.
Is City of God based on a book?
Yes. City of God is partly adapted from City of God by Paulo Lins and Alison Entrekin.
What awards did City of God win?
City of God won 1 award from 8 nominations, including Best Editing at the BAFTA 2003.
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