Representation of Drugs and Drug Culture in City of God

1. Representation of Drugs and
Drug Culture
in City of God

2. How are drugs and drug culture represented?
• Drug dealers are represented as having wealth in the
CoG.
• Drug dealers are represented as the leaders of their area.
• The main theme is Drugs = power. Li’l Ze and Carrot are
drug lords of the area and have the most power
compared to the other characters
• Drugs and drug taking is seen as normal. Drugs are seen
as a way ‘out’ – either through the power/wealth you get
from dealing or through the high you get from taking
them.
• Tiago runs errands for Benny without hesitation, showing
he is willing to do anything for a hit.
• Benny’s drug addiction is never addressed as a serious
problem within the film, he is still the character we love.

3. What would be good scenes to talking in relation to the
representation of drugs/drug culture? Why?
• The story of Li’l Ze’s apartment – it shows the
ruthlessness of drug culture.
• Runts traffic drugs.
• The scene where they talk about how to get up ranks in
the drug trade.
• Even Rocket has a bit to do with drugs – the scene
when he skips school to buy drugs for his friend (they
go to the beach to use them).
• The scene where Benny and Angelica are in bed and
are smoking a joint whilst having a deep conversation,
this gives an extremely calm and relaxed atmosphere
implying that marijuana makes you calm and loving

4. What might be challenging about the representation of
drugs and drug culture?
• Drugs are seen as the norm – here in this country
we consider them illegal
• Little kids dealing – unheard of here
• The police are involved in the drug trade – they
are not trying to stop it, they are allowing it to
happen even making it possible and encouraging
it
• Most film portray drugs as a spiralling downfall
for any characters that take them but CoG
doesn’t do that except for when Tiago breaks up
with Angelica

5. What messages might the audience take from this film about
drugs and drug culture?
• Only way to get power is through the drug trade
• If you own a gun you will die
• In the end drugs are seen as a negative – drug
culture (and it’s acceptance) destroys
communities, societies and individuals
• Drugs produce greed and greed eventually leads
to death
• Drugs are used to ease the pain brought on by
the struggles the characters have to live through