Poverty is shown in a negative way through the film's narrative and technical features. In the beginning of the film, large groups of people are pushed into the cramped and bare favela without choice. The only way to survive in this environment of poverty is through a life of crime, as shown by characters who tried to avoid crime ultimately meeting violent ends. Over time, the community breaks down and poverty worsens as ideology shifts from relatively moral "hoods" to more sinister gangs. Poverty is presented as a seemingly inescapable norm without community support or means of social mobility beyond criminal networks.

1. Poverty

2. Poverty
• The conditions of the poor are presented as unable
to be altered except by an individual getting out of
the slums and leaving everyone else there.
• There are few choices, slim chances and narrow
and vicious minds present in the film, this
contributes to the poverty.
• Poverty is shown in a negative way through the
narrative and technical features of the film.

3. In the beginning
• The scene where everyone is arriving is important
visually because they are all carrying their
belongings and filing in to the bare space. Rocket
even comments (in a voice over) on the number of
people coming in and the small space in which they
are to fill.
• This shows that people are being pushed into the
favela, like toys being crammed into a box. There
wont be enough room for them and since they all
came at once there wont be a steady incline in
population, they have been pushed in in groups by
the government. This isn’t their choice.

4. Beating the poverty
• The only way to become anything in that environment is
to go into the life of crime. Without the money from drug
trade and other crimes the poverty would be even harder
to survive in.
• There is also a message presented by the film that being
the ‘good guy’ doesnt get you anywhere in that
environment. Benny was well loved and he still managed
to get killed and Knockout Ned started out away from the
crime and eventually got dragged in and killed.
• The only one that goes against the criminal life and
survives is Rocket and even then he comes into contact
with those more sinister characters.

5. The 60’s
• In the beginning there are still ‘hoods’ however their
morals are better than the gangs in later years. They
steal for the good of the community, but as the times
change so do the ideologies.
• There is no longer a community in the later years.
• They have always been in poverty but once they lost
the sense of community it became even worse.
• This is shown in the golden tint on the 60s, it is a
brighter time in the timeline of the City of God. This
colour tint changes as the times progress and crime
progresses.

6. Social Behaviour and
escape.
• As a continuation of the idea of the lacking social
behaviour is the idea that the only social structure
present is the prevailing gangs alongside the police
cementing the war between the two and preventing
the aiding of those in poverty.
• Poverty in City of God is very much a factor that is
presented as the norm and a somewhat inescapable
one at that. As a result the film features a great deal
about these who wish to escape this life through
means like Lil Ze, or through simply leaving as
Benny tried to do with his girlfriend. The idea of
everybody having a need to belong somewhere.