City of God!

      City of God is definitely not linear when it comes to the periods of time it takes place in. The movie first begins at the present time when Rocket is given his golden opportunity to take pictures of Lil' Ze and his gang. There Rocket sets off the story by going way back when the City of God only had a trio of gangsters(aka "The Tender Trio") which were, Clipper, Goose, and Shaggy. Following them around was a little boy named Lil' Dice as well, whom later has very much to do with the actual conflict of the whole story. From the downfall of the Tender Trio, the movie then jumps a number of years to the 1960's, the hippie's era! Now rocket is a teen and aspires to become a photographer.

After that this time period, the movie jumps to the 1970's and from there it jumps back to present time. In addition to the time jumps, the movie tends to go back to every new character's background when introduced. As far as the question for why Brazil and why is it different from other gangster movies? Well, let
 me start of by saying that this movie is probably one of the most graphic and violent movies I have ever seen in my life! Most gangster movies simply focus on the drug aspect of the movie, maybe all except "The Godfather" and "GoodFellas", even those two movies being mentioned, City of God shows that there is no age for being a hoodlum, most started off as young as eight years of age! Many started of with hold-ups, then eventually got to the dealing life, and finally with killing. Maybe killing was already a part of the hold-ups to some, who knows? The actual place which was called Cidade De Deus was a rural slum created in the 1960's to get the poor and homeless off the streets of Rio. The Conditions are not too well, the government hasn't bothered to provide water or electricity. However, Cidade De Deus is teeming with life. For these reasons, it's no wonder why there is such violence. All people probably want to do is have a better life. The things they'd do for that is almost anything though. The narrator in the story was Rocket, whom played as the younger brother of one of the "Tender Trio". That being said, he has been a part of the story the beginning, and knows the life of a hoodlum isn't for him. Thats why he ambitions where else where. Rocket is asked to take pictures of Lil' Ze and his gang, accidentally his pictures are mixed into a bunch of pictures ready to get published. A golden opportunity is presented, Rocket has the chance to take further his photography by taking more pictures of Lil' Ze and his gang. Evidentially, Rocket is mixed in the last massive war between Carrot and Lil' Ze, whom both get arrested. Lil' Ze gets caught in camera by Rocket later to reveal him buying of the police to let him go. Rocket's last couple of pictures are of Lil' Ze being murdered by a bunch of kid hoodlums called "The Runts" Rocket's part in the movie is that he is the one who reveals all that happened in the end to the world.