Thematic comparison between required and elective films

¶ … films will be compared. One film that will be discussed is City of God (2002) and Boyz in the Hood (1991). City of God was made in and based in Brazil, specifically in the favellas of Rio de Janiero -- the equivalent of what Americans would call "the projects" in urban areas with severe crimes. Boyz n the Hood was made and based in an African-American ghetto of Los Angeles, California. City of God and Boyz n the Hood are films that seem to be littered with differences, yet upon closer examination, there are greater, thematic similarities. The paper focuses on themes such as family, violence, power, and poverty.

Both films are about what happens when the violence and injustice of a corrupt social and political system invite, urge, or even force youth, specifically male youths of color, into careers in crime. Both films center around youths that are a part of powerful gangs that commit crimes to support themselves, break out of poverty, and for selfish urges for power. The youths in both films see a number of their friends and enemies lost to gang violence. In both films, there are also those characters that wish to escape the life of the ghetto/favella, usually by means of using criminal activity as a way to escape and never return.

A theme that both films share is that it is a rare few who legitimately and completely escape from the oppression of extreme poverty in urban areas. In Boyz n the Hood, Tre, the protagonist, who is a former bully and former gang member, ultimately sheds his former life for one of greater prosperity via a romantic relationship with his girlfriend from the same neighborhood, and as they both attend colleges. They do not leave this lifestyle without their share of extreme violence, including violent shootings and beatings of their friends and community members. In City of God, Benny, known to be one of the most generous and cool drug dealers of the favella, throws a good bye party for him and his girlfriend, as they planned to retire from drugs and city life to get married and own a farm. Benny is brutally and accidently murdered at the party and his girlfriend is never seen again. The films communicate that the grip of the poverty and crime is truly strong; it is with great strength and sacrifice that a person is able to break free.

Another theme that is of interest to compare between these two films is how each film addresses family. Both films communicate quite clearly that there exist familial-type ties and feelings among bands of criminals. The gang members of L.A. have strong ties to each other, and it is because of these ties and their fortitude that a number of actions are taken on behalf of disrespected members. The same is true for City of God. The antagonist, Lil Ze, considers Benny his brother. When Benny gets murdered, Ze reacts as if they were blood brothers. They may not have had the same mother (person), but they were raised together, on the streets, fighting (and killing) for every dollar they made. Thus the films assert that family need not be the people who live in your home, or that family consists of the people who are biologically related to a person; family members are the people who treat you like family and are there for a person like a family member would be.