Film analsis

1. The purpose of thisessayis to lookintothe cinematography,sound,editingandcameraworkof the
openingof the Cityof God that was directedbyFernandoMeirelles.
Cityof God openswithaknife thatisbeingscrapedon a rock while the screenisrepeatedlycutting
to a black screen,makingithardto notice that itis a knife butthe diegeticsoundof the knife being
scrapedon the rock is veryclearto the audience.The knife hasconnotationsof violence butatthe
same time contrasts it’sself asthe knife canalsobe usedas an everyday cookingappliance soasan
audience we understandthatviolence isathingthatcan occur ineverydaysituations.
Duringthisunclearmontage we are thenshowna youngman who takesa picture of the tile of the
filmsuggestingthatphotographywill playasignificantpartof the narrative that will be inthe film.
As the scene continuesthe audience are shownmore crosscuttingbetweenthe blade being
sharpenedanda chickenbeingpreparedalongwithachickenthatisrestrictedbya rope tiedround
hisankle anda womanpreparingcarrots.There are also shotsof peoplesfeet showingthemwithout
shoeswhichsuggeststhatthe locationthatthe filmissetis notveryrich and developedarea.Music
isthenintroducedwiththe small montage of cutsthat haselementsof LatinaAmericaandhasa
veryupbeatcarnival style suggestingthatthe musicissambaso the locationof the filmwouldmost
likely be setin Rioandit wouldbe inthe favelaswhere there isalotof poverty.The musicintensifies
whenthe shotsare lowangle andare lookingupat the chickenthatis beingpreparedandcrosscuts
of the chickenthatis restricted,it’sasif the directorwantsthe audience tofeel likethey’rethe
chickenandas the musicisgettinglouderandtensionisbuiltit’slike the audience canreadthe
chickensthoughts.

2. A close upof the chickenshakingitsfoottotry gettingoutof the rope is shown,the chickenthen
escapesandjumpsintoan alleyway.The diegeticsoundof the drummingsuddenlystopsandcutsto
a close up of chicken’s bloodona plate,which isverysymbolicof the violence.A crosscutisthen
usedto introduce aman that speaksPortuguese and shouts“the chickengotaway,getit.”Then
longshotsof a herdof people withgunsstartto chase downthe chickenthatgot away alongwitha
drum beatthat isiconicto a chase,thisshowsthat the man whowas shoutingmustbe the leaderof
the pack. The man whois shownas the leaderhasthe camera at a canted angle whenitisfocused
on himwhich intensifieshowmadthischaracter ishe alsolaughsat the situationof tryingto kill the
chickenwhichshowinghe findsdeathfunny.
Thenthere are lotsof lowangle trackingshotsof the camera movingalongalleyssuggestingthe
audience isthe chickensotheyhave a sense of how intense itmustbe forthe chickensurrounded

3. by loadsobstaclesthatare difficultforhumanstogetaround soit showsthe full effectthatonce
your intosomethingit’snoteasytoescape.
Thenparallel editingbetween ayoungboythat wantsto be a photographertalkingtohisfriend
abouthow riskya shotis,and the gang chasingthe chickenthroughalleysthisisusedtoemphasise
that the chickenisthe boy reflectedasananimal.The gangleadertellsaman whoisaheadof the
chicken tograb the chickenthe mannearlycatchesthe chickensuggestthatthisboy isabout to be
caught.The man whowas toldto grab the chickenisthreatenedbythe leaderof the gangshowing
that he is verydeterminedtogetthischicken,suggestingthatonce youcross himthere’snogoing
back. The gang leaderthenlaughsverymentallythe youngman’sfriendtellshimwhatif Lil Zѐ
catchesyou. Fromthisthe audience caninferthat the gang leaderisknownasLil Zѐ.The chicken
and the youngboywho isknown as rocketcross pathsand Lil Zѐ tellsRockettograb the chickenand
the audience isshowna360 shotof the chickenandrocket where the chickenLil Zѐ andhisgang
gunspointedtowardsRocketat the police androckethas police behindhimwithgunspointed
towards the chickensdirectionatLil Zѐ and the gang. Thissuggeststhatthere isa mirrorbetween
the chickenandrocket and they’re trappedthere isnowayoutfor them.
He isin the middle of all thisand doesn’tknow whattodo and says“if you run away,theygetyou
and if youstay, theygetyoutoo.” the camera thendoesanother360 shot butmuch fasterand as
the camera comesback to Rocketthe camera cuts to a rocketas a child, the nextscene suggeststhe
openingscene wasthe endasrocket talksabouthavingto start withhisbrothertotell the storyof
the Cityof God. The openingscene createsanenigmacode asthe audience wantstoknow whythe
gang and the police are ina gang war and how Rockethas go himself intothe situationandwhyis
he in dangerif he takesa particularshot.

4. The coloursthat are presentedare verycold,witharange of bluesandgreysmaking upthe colour
palette.The openingscenealsousescolourisolationwhere one colourispresent, andthe other
coloursare beingdulleddown.Thisisespeciallyevident whenanunknownwomaniscuttinga
carrot. The orange isextremelyvivid,andportrays the ideaof freshness.Thisissuggestedfurtherby
the killingoverseveral chickensinvividcolour,thishelpstosetupthe urban setting.

5. Some veryobvioustechniqueshave beenusedinthe cinematographytoportraythe grittinessand
the true realityof the settingof the Cityof God. The lightinginall the shotstendto be verynatural,
signifyingthe level of povertyinthe slumsandhow there islittle electricity. The natural lightingalso
allowsshadowstobe inmise enscene,whichcouldbe signifyingthe darknature of the slumsandits
characters suchas Lil Zѐ.The camera isalso constantlymovingandishardlystatic.Many shotsare
trackingcharacters whilsttheymove throughconversationsandtendtobe quite fluid,whichcould
be a representationof the chaoticnature of the slumswhichalsolinksinwiththe lightinginthe film.
The gang leaderLil Zѐ createsan interestinthe audience ahe isnot the average type of person,as
he is infact a rebel whoseemsruthlessandhorriblepersonwhoisincontrol of the whole slumand
doesn’toblige tothe law,andwon’thave problemswherepeople will trytostophimas he isheavily
armed.Rocketalsocreatesan interest forthe audience ashe seemstobe quite calm, risktalkingas
he is willingtotake the picture andthe fact that he iscaught up inthe gang violence showsthathe is
the protagonistandthe gang leaderisthe antagonist.Bothof thema contrastof eachother,which
createsinterestforthe audience asitisintriguingto findoutwhatbroughtthemboth into these
situationsasRocket isshownto be a character withgoodintentions.