City of God - 949 Words

Laura Schneider Sociology 1 The City of God After watching â€Å"The City of God†, I personally can see the correlation that crime plays in association with poverty, social influence, and lack of law and order. Though my perspective vastly varies from that of sociological theorists, I think we can both conclude that this movie is an extreme representation as to what can occur when society shuns away disadvantaged youths to a place that lacks justice as well as ethical and moral responsibilities. Sociological perspectives regarding crime emphasize the interconnections between conformity and deviance in different social contexts (cite). In the following paper I will attempt to analyze three sociological theories and apply their views to the†¦show more content†¦Criminal acts may appear attractive to some but social bonds stop most from actually committing on impulse. The youths in the movie had little constraints on their actions from parents or authority, I believe that inadequate socialization and lack of educa tion led characters such as Benny, Shaggy, and Carrot into the lifestyle of drugs, greed and violence. As you can see, there are many sociological perspectives that can be applied when analyzing and interpreting the actions of the characters in â€Å"The City of God†. Functionalists would focus on social order and structure of the society as a whole. Almost all of the characters except for Rocket adjusted their aspirations to the reality of their situation; however Interactionist’s would argue that criminal activities are something that is learned through primary peer groups, which was very much so the case in the film. Conflict Theorists see crime and deviance as a power struggle amidst a lower class longing to be the ruling class. Lastly Control Theory feels that crime results from an imbalance between impulses to commit crime and the social or physical controls that deter it. (Cite). There wasn’t much holding the kids back from committing crime in an environment where the ability to use a firearm prevailed over reading and writing skills. No matter what sociological approach one chooses to take, I think that everyone will agree that when social groups conform to a deviantShow MoreRelatedCity of God (2002) Represents Violence and P overty as Spectacle.3961 Words   |  16 PagesCidade de Deus / City of God (2002) on the grounds that the film represents violence and poverty as a ‘spectacle’ and fails to relate these issues to the wider socio-political context of contemporary Brazil. Is this criticism justified? ‘There are†¦two kinds of film makers: one invents an imaginary reality; the other confronts an existing reality and attempts to understand it, criticise it†¦and finally, translate it into film’ Fernando Biri, 1979[1] Fernando Meirelles’s City of God (2002) hasRead MoreCity Of God : Movie Review : The City Of God817 Words   |  4 PagesThe movie, The City of God, is based on a true story that took place during the early 1960s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The movie tells a story from the point of view of a boy named Rocket. He was born and raised in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. Throughout the film, he struggles with the fear of being dragged into crime, violence, and drugs. His goal is to one day break free from the slums in which he is currently trapped. 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He also shows the problems of livingRead MoreCity of God Analysis1874 Words   |  8 Pages* Cidade De Deus, more commonly known as the City of God, was directed by Fernando Meirelles. This is a Brazilian film that represents and portrays the violence and horrors of living within the Brazilian Slums, known as favelas. * With over 500 slums, the favelas existed within the regions of Rio de Janeiro, containing more than a third of the city’s population. The word favela refers to a community of people who neither own nor have formal permission to occupy land. Rio De Janerio’s favelasRead MoreAnalysis Of The City Of God Essay2278 Words   |  10 Pagesof knowledge, so that they could either be equal or more powerful than their peers. In history St. Augustine of Hippo justified that the fall of Rome was due to the power-hungry individual who eventually ran the city to the ground. 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The movie is about the rise and fall of a fearsome sociopath gang leader Lil Ze, who reigned as king of the drug lords during the 70s. The first part of the movie illustrates some of the forces that mold Lil Ze into the man he becomes, while the second half shows his ruthless leap to power, followed by the