City of God viewing booklet

PICTURES WERE INCLUDED BUT REFUSED TO BE COPY AND PASTED- SAVED ON HOME COMPUTER UNDER CITY OF GOD VIEWING BOOKLET

The Flying Chicken’ opening scene and credits

Editing
Fast pace and Continuity are achieved by:
Lots of transitions
Fading in and out transitions
Short, sharp shots
The fast pace excites the audience
Sound- Diegetic sound:
A knife being sharpened
Silence when the chicken escapes
Non diegetic sound:
A continuous, fast paced drum beat, seemingly of Brazilian culture to reflect the fast pace

Cinematography- By positioning all the shots as closeups, mostly all with a small depth of field, the  audience are given insight into the Chicken’s perspective.

Intensity is created as the film does not start with an establishing shot, so the audience are eager to discover their surroundings.
The cinematography changes to force you to see through the character of Rocket’s eyes.
Continuity is established maintained in transition to the second part of the scene when the camera spins, to elliptically travel back in time to Rocket’s childhood, representing a flashback. This transition is seamless.
What is the impact of the editing from the outset?
The audience are immediately forced to feel as if they are blinking and waking up in another world
Intensity
Fear

What mood/atmosphere does the sound create?
The sharpening knife creates:
 A sense of foreboding
A Frantic atmosphere
The silence allows the audience to reflect- creating a thoughtful atmosphere
The drum quick drum beat emphasizes the frantic atmosphere and exudes more tension

How are the audience first introduced to Rocket? Consider the mise-en-scene
We are introduced to Rocket as being the central character in the story. The golden colour represents Rocket’s innocence and the happiness of his childhood without being exposed to violence; and contrasts with the dull colours shown at the very beginning, representing how his knowledge of the danger and violence affects the way that he views the world. This will mean that that as the audience view the story though his eyes that their perspective is slightly altered.
 
Key themes:
Danger, tension, death, violence.

The Sixties – The motel massacre

Dialogue
Little dialogue, means the audience will focus more in depth on the visual aspects
Woman on the front desk argues with the tender trio that they should be in school instead of committing crime in attempt to deter them from robbing the motel, frustrating the audience by the ignorance of the tender trio
Verbal abuse of women in the motel, Goose makes the accusation that the motel is a hoar house.


Editing
Fast editing gives the impression of disorganization/spur of the moment actions. The editing all of a sudden changes to slow down the scene completely at the end, filming two long tracking shots across the motel rooms of dead corpses. This will shock the audience as although it has been made extremely clear that people have been murdered, it is left unanswered how this occurred.


Set/location

Bright lighting, plays to the audience’s expectations that murder will not take place as it sets a more content atmosphere, so they will be all the more shocked when they witness the corpses at the end

.
The bright red car they escape in reflects the brightness of the previous scene, however it is surrounded by a background of darkness and gates that the audience may associate with jail, and crime.
 

How does the scene reflect the social and economic context of Brazil?
The scene reflects how poverty in the slums is a major cause of crime as the poorest people strive for wealth by stealing.
Why might Dice have suggested the hold-up at the motel?

He may have wanted to prove to the older boys that he is capable of thinking like a criminal and is not afraid to cause harm and be violent; he is trying to prove that he is like them so that they will treat him like he is their equal and not be condescending and look down upon him as the audience are shown.

What is the importance of religion here?


How is masculinity represented in this scene?
The performance is over the top, with quick movements, demonstrating a cunning but frantic representation of masculinity.

Why the change of pace at the end of the scene?
The two long tracking shots at the end of the scene of the corpses contrast hugely with the earlier shots and mood of the scene. It makes the corpses stand out to the audience allowing them to take full notice and question how they were murdered.

The Story of the Apartment

Mise-en-scene
The mise en scene is stripped back as the scene progresses: the colour fades to darkness and the props gradually vanish. This creates an empty feeling.
 


Cinematography
The lighting changes throughout the scene, it starts with a warm pink light to reflect a more relaxed atmosphere; putting the audience in a temporary state  of contentment. It changes to a low key darkness to reflect a more uneasy atmosphere and put the audience on edge ,  helping build up to this key event, when a character is shot.


Editing
Fades
Key themes:
Life is cheap, death is inevitable
How does the camerawork differ in this scene? Why?
The camera suggests we are being given information as it remains in a fixed position throughout the scene.



How is editing used as a narrative device in this scene?

The fades that are used, show the inevitability of death, people coming and going, and quickens the pace. It suggests life is cheap and emphasizes the little importance of each individual.





What is the role of the audience here and how does that differ from the rest of the film?

The audience is an omniscient observer in this scene instead of feeling caught up in the action as they may when the camera is handheld.




What is the purpose of the voice-over here?
To update the audience regarding the history of the apartment
To explain what is happening in the scene, and how it takes place over a seemingly long period of time.

The Story of Li’l Ze

Mise-en-scene
Bright lighting and orange/yellow colour is juxtaposed with the events at the start of the scene, creating an ambiguous atmosphere
The suffering and pain shown in performance of the people in the motel evokes shock in the audience.
Sound
Non diegetic jazz funk music begins the story but is soon faded out as ze begins shooting, it takes away the upbeat atmosphere immediately and forces the audience to acknowledge the severity of the events
Diegetic: No background music when ze is murdering in the motel, to portray it as real and untouched.
Editing
 suddenly becomes extremely fast once ze starts shooting
A montage of shots are used to elliptically compress the time it takes for ze to grow up until an adult symbolizing how quickly he grows up, and in doing so bewildering the audience.
How is Li’l Ze represented?
He is represented as having passion for violence
Whether he feels as if he is missing out on something or mistreated, his reactions are always extreme.
The audience get the impression that he can only rest once brutal consequences have taken place.

What is the effect of his laughter on the audience?
The audience will be disturbed and chilled by the sight of ze becoming desensitized to murdering.

 
Contextual links:
Portrays to the audience, that the impact of growing up in a slum is dehumanizing
Children brought up in slums can gain the power of an adult without growing and acquiring wisdom

 
Key themes:
Everyday murder
Desensitization
Loss of humanity

The Runts

Mise-en-scene
Warm and bright colours. The scene begins on a beautiful sunny day with a bright blue cloudy sky, setting a warm and contented atmosphere. It makes the scene seem like it will be more cheerful than it turns out to be, and therefore setting up surprize in the audience for later.
 Incredible emotive performance from the actors playing the runts, creating meaning and a vivid, memorable message.
 

Sound
Diegetic; starts lively, lots of chatter.
Panic, running and screaming creating mania, creating anxiety in the audience.
Again no non diegetic sound creating the feeling of watching a documentary, very real and brutal.

Cinematography
High key, natural lighting throughout to depict that the happenings are genuine everyday events, which creates more impact on the audience. The high key lighting is juxtaposed with the traumatic ending of the scene creating impact in the contrast.
 
Key themes:
Ageism
Violence
Power
How the runts are initially represented?
Manic, uncontrollable, threatening




How is the audience encouraged to feel throughout the scene? How is an emotional/visceral reaction created?
The Audience are encouraged to feel depressed from seeing children so young being faced with such traumatizing and difficult situations. It may also anger the audience that such events happen in the world today, it feels real to the audience and is an eye opener.




How does this represent a shift in Li’l Ze’s character?
It confirms that ze has no heart or moral scruples, it makes him come across as a disgusting human being who has no concept of proportionate revenge.
 
Contextual links:
Life in the slum the city of god is accurately portrayed here, the audience are revealed the brutal truth of the traumas the residents face.

The Nightclub – Benny’s Farewell

Mise-en-scene
Colour palette of green, blue, and yellow – disco lights to add to the uplifting atmosphere, and exciting the audience

The colour palette changes to a darker shade of blue, a colour that has connotations with sadness; it subtly forebodes benny’s death by darkening the atmosphere, creating ambiguity.



Sound
diegetic- disco music, dialogue, background chatter all adding livelyhood
Non diegetic- voice over (rocket) Music is parallel to atmosphere
Music quietens when Ze is pressurizing and bullying knockout Ned to fade the uplifting atmosphere, being hidden by loud talking.




Editing
The scene starts with a slow pace, as the takes last much longer. It creates a relaxed atmosphere
The pace of the editing increases, as does the tension, the atmosphere becomes tenser.
How is Angelica represented throughout? How does the scene in the bedroom contrast with the nightclub?





How is lighting and editing used together to represent the shooting?
In the part of the scene where the shooting takes place the disco lights are continuously flashing from pitch black to dark blue. It makes it very difficult for the audience to depict exactly what is going on, which represents the shooting in a very intense and gripping way.





Why might the songs have been chosen for the scene?
Upbeat pop music is a natural uplift which establishes excitement and a carefree atmosphere
The music has a strong rhythm adding intensity to the atmosphere

What insight do we get into Li’l Ze here? What might his motivation for violence be?
It is strongly implied that Ze attacks knock out Ned because he is jealous of his relationship with who seems to be his girlfriend,  his jealousy acting as a motivation for violence. It shows the vulnerable aspect of Ze – in his personality. His strong reaction to being rejected reveals how he can be mentally injured even though he is so skilled he can avoid being physically injured. It suggests that his life lacks intimacy.
Key themes:
Jealousy, Fear, power

The assault on Knockout Ned, his girlfriend and his family

Cinematography
The lighting is on the whole very low key to reflect the frightening and sombre mood. The events that occur are tragic and depressing.
The camera is often handheld to create an uneasy and unnerving atmosphere, its constant movement, especially as much of it is out of focus makes the
 audience nervous.










The camera is positioned very close to the objects in the household making the audience feel as if they are up close to the objects, as if they are taking cover from the shootings.


Editing
Extremely fast paced with short camera shots as the gunshots are fired

Mise-en-scene
Navy blue, dismal and threatening.
The performance of the actors in ze’s gang impose threat and torment with blank facial expressions and tilted heads
How is editing used to heighten the tension in the rape scene?
Fading in and out to pitch black, to blur the events, making it unclear visually what is happening so the audience are forced to focus on listening to the suffering and painful sound.



How are the audience positioned to feel?
The audience are positioned to feel powerless by the handheld camera movement and




How is masculinity represented here?
Extremely violently
Aggressively
Confident and powerful



How is sound used?
All diegetic.
Loud gunshots without background music make the scene feel very real and unpolished, more like a documentary with meaning rather than an action movie.

How do these events set Knockout Ned on a different path? How is his motivation differ from that of Li’l Ze?
Knockout Ned is presented as a more peaceful person. He is not obsessed by using violence as Ze is.

 

Rocket as reporter

Mise-en-scene
The colour palette is bright with a variety of cool and warm colours there are pale blues, greens and yellows
The female journalist lives in an apartment with more luxuries than anyone living in the city of god has. It is laid out in style with art, lamps, plants and furniture, highlighting the difference in wealth and comfort between the people who live in the City of God and people who live elsewhere.
 



Editing
On the journey back to the female journalist’s house Fades are used as transitions between each shot, to add continuity to the scene and making the pace feel slow.
The fades are also elliptical, as they transition to shots that take place with a multitude of minutes between them.


Why is it important that Rocket becomes a reporter?
It is what gives rocket purpose, his passion for photography both entertains him and is his source of income.





Why is the camera motif so important here in relation to Li’l Ze? Why is he not angry when the photos appear in the paper?
Lil Ze is not angry seemingly because the photos that appear in the paper give i=him fame and emphasize his powerful and threatening status




Why does Marina’s apartment play an important role?
Marina’s apartment is where rocket has his first sexual experience

Key themes:
Effort and reward
The difference in wealth between the people who do and do not live in the City of God.

The Beginning of the End

Mise-en-scene
The area is portrayed as unreliable and threateningly unsafe
Dismal shades of grey and blue make up the colour palette. Very shady areas
All characters have guns- the fact that they carry these implies that they are always in danger of being shot at and need constant self defence, which makes the audience feel uneasy

Cinematography
Only natural lighting is used which makes it very realistic and low-key
The framing starts as the beginning of the film does, all shots as close- ups, recreating the intensity that is achieved at the beginning . The close-up focus with a small depth of field of the variety of objects, intensifies the detail and the danger.
The camera positioning is filmed from the chicken’s height which gives the audience a deeper insight into the chicken’s life threatening situation, additionally as the camera is handheld  and unsteady, this creates an out of control atmosphere. The objects become out of focus.as it is unsteady which adds to the loss of control
Fast camera pans to flashback
Key themes:
Death
Revenge (Otto's revenge on knockout Ned)
Consequences
Punishment
Contextual links  - discuss the camera in relation to the filmmakers vision
Handheld to portray the true mania and chaos that the director wanted to broadcast.
Lack of control

Camera films from a low angle at the start of the scene to make the audience feel powerless