Ethical Review: CITY OF MEN

Originally submitted by: barcode 2x

When social structures disappear, communities are left to manage themselves. When a government turns a blind eye to its impoverished population, that population must organize itself. Gangs will form and dominate communities. And the very young are caught in the middle. CITY OF MEN, the new film from Paolo Morelli, is adapted from the television show of the same name, and is a spin-off from Fernando Meirelle's acclaimed CITY OF GOD. The film shows us a picture of an anarchaic society gone to rot, a city abandoned.

CITY OF MEN opens with a view of Dead End Hill in Rio De Janeiro. The ghetto resembles a stack of brown cardboard boxes, overlooking the ocean. Dead End Hill is ruled by Midnight, a charismatic young man with a league of loyal followers. The gang members are men as old as 30, accompanied by children under ten, armed with guns, standing on a rooftop slab. When Midnight is betrayed by one of his own, Dead End Hill is taken over by a rival gang. The families of the enemy gang members are thrown out of their homes and the buildings are burnt. Citizens are massacred in the streets. The communities shift and Midnight's gang relocates to gather its forces.

Best friends Wallace and Ace are caught in the middle. Both are 17, living on Dead End Hill. Ace has fathered a son with his girlfriend Cristiane, and as the battle ensues for control of the Hill, the child is abandoned. Flashbacks reveal how both boys were left fatherless by these ancient turf wars. Ace has been mistakenly identified as one of Midnight's boy soldiers, and is being hunted by numerous rival gang members. Left homeless, he is forced to sleep up on another rooftop slab, this one in Bald Hill, nearby. He needs a home, and Midnight is able to give him shelter and becomes a surrogate father. Ace is given a gun, an explanation of his past, and the story of his father's fate. Midnight has effectively inherited the boy. Midnight seems to be a father figure to many, abandoned over the years. This benevolent leader is forced to make a choice to protect his community, and return them to Dead End Hill.

Meanwhile, Wallace has found his own father after a years-long search. They have reconnected and moved in together. The boy's relationship with his best friend has changed. Secrets are revealed. This war has spanned generations, and long ago pitted the two boys' fathers against one another. The two boys wind up on opposite sides of this endless conflict. The conclusion is violent and emotional, leading these two young boys to make very adult decisions. Can one stop the cycle of abandonment and violence?

How can one learn to be a father when there are so few good examples to be found? The responsibility of fatherhood, and being a father figure, is still loose and undefined in our culture. In CITY OF MEN, the role of women-as-caretakers is established and well understood. The women in these institutions are the ethical guardians. They must care for the young, and monitor the health of their communities. Women stand guard in prisons and parole offices. In one heartbreaking scene, the on-duty nurse who delivered Ace's baby boy encourages the young father to hold his son. Ace intitially resists, but when the child is put in his arms, he silently accepts his role as father and protector. In a city of men, this is the hardest role to fill.

Families need communities. Communities need leaders. When Midnight leads his army into battle, he knows what he is sacrificing. He knows that some of his men will die, and that he will deprive certain young children of their fathers. He tells his men to spare the innocent, and aim for the man in charge. There is a stunning and disturbing shot when morning comes: a father finds his son, who left home to defend the neighborhood. He must cart him away in a wheelbarrow. At the center of CITY OF MEN is the idea of bearing this burden, carrying this responsibility. CITY OF MEN is an important and beautiful film playing in limited release.

Now playing at the Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor. For dates and showtimes go to [url]http://www.michtheater.org[/url]. In Portugese with English subtitles.