City of God- analysis booklet

‘The Flying Chicken’ opening scene and credits

Editing

-Quick cuts, makes the scene go at a faster pace

-Elliptical?

-Slow motion used when rocket meets the gang, to show that he is scared as time feels like it goes slower when scared

- camera on chicken looking back makes it feel like a car chase scene with a high risk of danger for the person being ‘tailed’.

Sound

-fast and happy Diegetic music is played to give the scene a faster tone, done to represent the quick life the chicken leads, and foreshadowing of most of the characters short life’s.

- Happy music used when the gang is shown, showing that they are having a good time, no music used when rocket is seen showing the audience that his situation isn’t safe/happy.

Cinematography

-throughout this scene the colour pallet used is filled with black and blue making the scene feel low-spirited.

- when Lil Ze see’s rocket the gun he is holding has a high key of lighting, this emphasizes to the viewer the main object in that frame

What is the impact of the editing from the outset?

The quick cuts from the starts really sets the tone for the rest of the movie showing that it will be fast paced with characters life’s seemingly finishing quicker than they should.   

What mood/atmosphere does the sound create?

the positive sound made by the culture around the area creates a fun and exciting atmosphere, making the scene seem light hearted, when in actuality you see on screen children and teenagers running around with guns.

How are the audience first introduced to Rocket? Consider the mise-en-scene

When we first see rocket he is shown at the top of the stairs which shows that he is more of an observer looking over the other characters. Also his first line talks about a photo embedding the idea that he is in the story as an overseer.

How are the audience first introduced to L’il Ze? What are we encouraged to feel about him?

When we are first properly shown L’il Ze he is shown to push over an elderly man, threaten him with a gun, and then laugh about it. This instantly makes the audience dislike the character as he is portrayed as the ‘bad guy’ of the film

Key themes:

 good/bad, Brazilian culture

The Sixties – The Story of the Tender Trio (gas truck)

Mise-en-scene

In this scene the director uses bright warm colours such as orange and red to signify a happy calmer place. This is also done to contrast the past and the present showing that over time the atmosphere became darker and gloomier

Dialogue

In this scene L’il Dice is shown to be a higher figure in the area this is shown when he says “do you want to mess” showing the audience that he isn’t afraid to fight. We also see Bene make fun of L’il Dice saying “he sucks” showing that their friendship is close and that Bene possibly feels safe when with L’il Dice. In this scene almost every character uses profanity except Rocket showing that he is a saint like figure in this story.

Cinematography

When we first see L’il Dice chiaroscuro is used on his body distinctively showing half of him as dark and half of him as light, this is done to show that he isn’t fully a bad person yet but will face decisions that will later turn him completely bad.

Editing

A part of this scene is made to look like a photograph with a non-diegetic snapshot heard and the picture zooms quickly in and out giving the effect of a camera. This is done to signify that it is in the past and acts as a backstory to the plot.

How is L’il Ze represented?

He is presented as a powerful figure in the favela this is done by his attitude towards other people his age, and because he hangs with the tender trio robbing a fuel truck for money and enjoyment.

Comment on the pace of the scene? How does that impact our reading?

At the start of the scene the pace is slow with relatively long cuts and a relaxed atmosphere used by the colour pallet, it then becomes faster when the standoff takes place with much faster cuts representing the heart rate of the characters going up, until finally the escape section start and the camera goes shaky but the cuts are longer allow a slow decline in the action of the scene similar to their heart beat.

What is the effect of the voice over?

The effect of the voice over is to make it seem like rocket -who sounds older than he is on screen – is looking back through a photo album and telling the story to someone else which in this case is the audience.

How is the environment represented?

The football field represents a safe zone with a lot of open space and a warm environment this is made this way so that when the tender trio run to it to escape the cops it feels like it is just a game of tag to them and that their actions don’t have any bad outcomes.

Key themes:

Authority, robin hood

The Sixties – The motel massacre

Dialogue

in this scene the tender trio are shown to be laughing and having a good time, this shows that they don’t think of the robbing as anything serious, this is done to imply that they are a group of amateurs with no real organization.

Editing

At the end of the scene where we see the dead bodies we are shown a slow transition so that the audience feels like there is no end to the deaths it also gives a more impactful felling to us as it is the first time the film shows dead bodies

Set/location

When the tender trio escape in the car a shot is used showing them behind a fence symbolizing the crime that they have committed and the consequences they will soon face.

 How does the scene reflect the social and economic context of Brazil?

It reflects the barrier between the favelas and the middle class areas of Rio De Jeniro.

Why might Dice have suggested the hold-up at the motel?

He may have done it to prove moose he wasn’t just a kid, he may have done it so that he could kill, he may have done it because he was bored, he may have done it because they needed to move the plot on quicker.

What is the importance of religion here?

When clipper leaves the man who is part of a church it foreshadows his path of religion, it also shows the audience that even hoodlums have faith in god

How is masculinity represented in this scene?

in this scene the trio are shown to be enjoying themselves with goose taking his time to look at some of the women, this enforces the idea that the thieves are just teens and that they are going through masculinity.

Why the change of pace at the end of the scene?

The slower pace is used to emphasis the damage that they have done, and that you can do something bad really quickly but the consequences can last a long time

Key themes:

Consequences

The Runts

Mise-en-scene

In this scene the gang is shown to be dressed in peaceful happy colours such as green and orange, the runts are shown to be in duller costumes consisting of white and light blue, this is done to show the audience that the gang is an important figure that are dealing with thieves.

Sound

In this scene no music is playing to possibly emphasis that it isn't a group of teenagers but children who aren’t interested in music, it also illustrates the severity of the scene. Furthermore at the beginning of the scene the runts are laughing and are joking around until the gang comes and then only screams can be heard, this enforces the danger of lil Ze and his gang to the audience.

Cinematography

Once the gang arrives a lot of the shots are blurry, this could be done to show that the runts don’t fully understand the situation and that it is unclear to them. Furthermore some of the shots are taken with the gun taking up most of the screen showing how big a threat it is.

How are the runts initially represented?

They are initially shown to be the beggars of the favela interrupting Rocket to ask him if they could have a joint, they do this by circling him making them seem powerful leading to a possible foreshadow of the gang they will become today.

How are the audience encouraged to feel throughout the scene? How is an emotional/visceral reaction created?

At first the audience may feel sorry for them as they are only children and it isn’t their fault they are on the street.

How does this represent a shift in Li’l Ze’s character?

When Li’l Ze confronts the runts the audience is at first lead to believe that he acts as a hero to the favelas saving the workers from crime. However later on in that scene we as an audience can’t help but feel sorry for the runt, this is done to show that L’il Ze shifts between good and bad and can quite easily cross the line when he tries to do something good

 Contextual links:

The gang that the runts will form in today’s favela.

The dangers children face every day in the favelas

Key themes:

Consequences, fear