Why City of God is superior to Godfather and Goodfellas.

[CodeBlaMeVi]

As seeing them all, I find City of God more entertaining. The first two Godfathers are excellent but it was a chore watching them through.

 

[Henny and_ HotWings]

City of God isn't a gangster film, it's a coming of age story...

Goodfellas is a black comedy

Godfather is drama

These aren't even in the same categories...nor have similar story beats or plots

What???

 

[Axolotl]

What???

Dudes a clown

 

[ChatGPT-5]

agree

don't forget Jonny Mad Dog.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

No. They’re shut entirely different. Scorsese didn’t direct Godfather.

Goodfellas and story telling style is exactly the same. This is not my opinion, it’s the concensus among film heads.


It’s no surprise the director of city of god couldn’t do it again.

It’s no shade tho, everyone was biting Scorsese in the early 2000s. See Paul Thomas Anderson in boogie nights

 

[FeloniousMonk]

So we are comparing the story of the italian mob to kids growing up in the slums?

 

[FeloniousMonk]

thats an interesting point

for me, the sopranos is 1a and the wire is 1b. breaking bad is a distant third

Ay, you have to throw 'The Shield' in there too..but thats another thread.

 

[Knicksman20]

COG is a great movie. I like the GF movies but I could sit down & watch COG before watching them any day because I find it more relatable & the characters more realistic

 

[Henny and_ HotWings]

Dudes a clown

Yeah...... apparently so

 

[O.T.I.S.]

I think it's better because the cinematography is unbelievably good, and because it's such a deep story. All the pieces matter and everything connects in a way Godfather and Goodfellas don't. In that sense it's sort of like The Wire vs The Sopranos. Both are outstanding but one is about an entire city, the other is about a family, and for me there is a greater degree of complexity in telling the story of a city as opposed to a family.

real people in brazil were used for the movie, not just actors

Kids was really toting in COG

I actually hate gangster movies especially with italians and all that bullshyt. I skip that shyt, couldn’t get into the Sopranos, none of it


COG was special, gritty, realistic.

 

[Black Magisterialness]

City of God is a tragic masterpiece. For me, the story and character is superior those movies. The characters in Godfather and Goodfellas aren't empathetic at all. I cant sympathize or relate to grown ass men, especially racist cac men, taking a life of crime. Honestly, If they wanted to leave the crime life they can easily assimilate into society, even if it means less money.

However, in CoG, theses are young folk, 18-21, trapped in a life a poverty, corruption, and a general lack of opportunity. This gangster life for them is all they got. Many were dragged into this world and even some of them who be robbing still be giving back to the community.

Its a perfect film. Visually courageous, amazing storytelling, compelling characters...

I still can't get over the aside about Blacky's apartment.

 

[eastsideTT]

I don't think CoG and Goodfellas are comparable at all but that's just me

As one of Goodfellas' most famous alumnus says, "Apples and bowling balls..."

If you're from NYC especially Queens or Brooklyn than Goodfellas should be one of your GOATs. Marty S does a good job capturing what the city was like back in the day

Visually though? CoG is one of the GOATs.

 

[Asicz]

Shieet I got Belly>COG

 

[O.T.I.S.]

Shieet I got Belly>COG

You trippin but Belly was hard...


Belly was pretend gangsters pretending to be gangsters though.

Them kids in Brazil wasn’t playing foreal. Even if the story was loosely based off real events, them favelas weren’t no joke when they was filming that shyt and some those kids were really in the mud

 

[Rollie Forbes]

got any suggestions/favorites??

Watch "Raise The Red Lantern".