This document provides notes and observations from the screening of the film City of God. It summarizes key scenes and events in the film through descriptions of the visual style, characters, and progression of the plot. The film depicts the rise of organized crime and gang violence in the slums of Rio de Janeiro from the 1960s to the early 1980s. It follows the character Rocket and how he rises from poverty to become a photographer while documenting the increasing power and corruption of drug dealers like Li'l Zé in the neighborhood. Violence breeds more violence as gangs battle each other, trapping the youth of the favelas in a hopeless cycle that few seem able to escape.

1. CITY OF GOD<br />SCREENING NOTES<br />Opening scene<br />Kinetic use of camera<br />Cultural music<br />Low level Tracking shot of chicken<br />Rocket introduced as photographer<br />No subtitles early on so don’t know what they’re saying<br />Poverty identifiable<br />Maze=like alley ways<br />Built up, crowded urban environment – tall buildings in state of disrepair<br />Matrix shot (360 deg pan, slo mo of Rocket that transforms into the past)<br />Grey, blue mise-en-scene, dark oppressive feel to it (lighting, colour of building) – in direct contrast to next scene (not yet built up area)<br />See Li'l Zé’s gang – introduces immediate concern of the film – POVERY, POWER and CRIME<br />Sixties<br />Housing projects<br />Identical houses lined up<br />Everything yellow/orange – emphasising the dust and heat <br />Poverty is apparent through clothing, cars, jobs people have<br />Even police have rusted old VW Beetle<br />Very clear there is a lack of aspirations for the young – being a hood a viable option<br />Goose feels he is a hood as he “has no brain” whereas Rocket should be aspiring to greater things<br />This Brazil is “far removed form the picture postcard image of Rio de Janeiro<br />Tender trio<br />Shaggy, Clipper, Goose (Rocket’s brother)<br />Hold up trucks<br />Kids as criminal – not an unusual sight in films like these? Adheres to Latin American stereotype?<br />Shaggy – falls in love but is shot trying to escape<br />Goose – shot by r<br />Clipper – turns to the Church<br />Other characters introduced at this stage - Li'l Dice and Benny<br />Cops – as bad as hoods (taking money form dead bodies etc) – again a stereotype of the corrupt cop.<br />Rocket<br />His voice over guides the narrative and we identify with him<br />He introduces characters and situations<br />He like us, is an observer<br />Motel scene<br />Motel (whorehouse) - Li'l Dice left outside as lookout<br />This is a start of things to come as indicates Li'l Dice’s appetite for killing<br />Seventies<br />Rocket and friends (the Groovies) on the beach<br />fits in more with our notion of what Brazil is like – sun, sea, fun, contrast to previous scenes<br />Montage sequence of Rocket taking photos of his friends<br />Style<br />Relentless in pace and editing techniques, use of energetic soundtrack and constantly moving camera<br />Camera opens our eyes to this world and the people who inhabit it<br />Lots of high angle shots of the identical houses at dusk (60s)<br />Naturalistic acting (non-professional, fast dialogue and believable characters and mannerisms)<br />Overall youthful element to the style - allows us to identify more with young characters (never see older people as generally people don’t appear to live that long)<br />Every film trick in the book is used from slo mo to split screen to bullet time effects<br />Soundtrack very important to adding to the mood and atmosphere<br />Use of humour even in serious situations – e.g. when Goose is discovered with Shorty’s wife, the car breaking down when Shaggy tries to escape<br />The Story of the Apartment<br />This is the first time we get to see into the life of the drug dealers<br />It is no longer about being a small time hood<br />Drugs as big business and the key to survival<br />Dark and dingy apartment<br />Drug paraphernalia everywhere<br />Plenty of extreme close ups on the dealing process<br />From Li'l Dice to Li'l Zé<br />At 18 becomes the most respected hood<br />Very angry, intimidating and violent<br />“ready for anything:<br />hungry for power<br />given an amulet by a mystical character<br />clearly believes in his power/importance<br />handheld camera and focussing on everything he sees and covets (girls, cars, money, jewellery)<br />Killing montage<br />Fast motion<br />BEV of bodies being shot as if it means nothing<br />Rise to becoming a coke dealer<br />Charting his rise to success (typical gangster film conventions – rise and inevitable fall)<br />Montage of drug selling s a business and how it is done<br />Camera constantly roaming around<br />Voice over as a constant narrative device<br />The Runts<br />Rob, cause havoc, upset the balance of the favelas<br />Disucss how to rise to power – relies on waiting for death of the older hoods<br />Idea of violence breeding violence (Ze forces another child to kill a child)<br />Li'l Zé has to put a stop to it – confronts them in what seems like very cruel and sadistic way – shows he doesn’t feel any emotion<br />CU on his amulet round his neck to remind us and him of his power and arrogance as he shoots child in the foot<br />Benny<br />Likeable character – elements of comedy<br />Dressing in new clothes – established as too cool for the slum<br />Montage with Tiago as he transforms – orange hair, funky soundtrack, flowery shirt<br />James Brown soundtrack as focus solely on him as he dances like maniac<br />He is the opposite of Li'l Zé who is obsessed with getting rid of Carrot<br />Benny more chilled out and wants to have fun<br />Big heart – wants to give Rocket the camera<br />We get the feeling he will never escape the hopeless situation of the favela though<br />A lover not a fighter, Angelica reminds him “we’re hippies at heart”<br />“too cool to be a hoodlum”<br />Popular as opposed to Zé who demands respect through fear<br />Going away party<br />Zé feels rejected by Benny and the girl who wouldn’t dance with him<br />‘Kung fu Fighting’ serves as a soundtrack as Zé watches angrily as people have fun<br />Zé enjoys humiliating people – clearly jealous and angry<br />Strobe light – distorts our view of the action/fighting – soundtrack disguises words<br />Sudden gunshot “they’ve killed Benny”<br />Flirting with crime<br />Rocket and friends too nice to commit crime<br />Sequence of attempts on bus, hitchhiking etc but make friends with potential victims<br />Rocket again identified as someone who could escape the cycle of violence that others are trapped in <br />Knockout Ned<br />Handsome – opposite to Zé who is ugly<br />Zé rapes Ned’s girlfriend in a scene using canted angles, WEV, distorted sound, attack left to imagination and only see Ned’s reaction<br />Becomes new hero of the slum, then joins forces with Carrot against Zé<br />Bank robbery montage which charts Ned;s inevitable rise as a hood and his burgeoning violence<br />“The exception becomes the rule”<br />Gang warfare<br />Small children join on various sides with tenuous reasons<br />See shots of their dead bodies and the echoed sounds of their reason for joining is heard<br />“A year later nooone could remember how it began” shows the senselessness of the violence<br />Photography of the gang<br />Posing shows the desire for notoriety, celebrity, respect<br />No photographer has ever been inn the favelas – sense of this being the ‘true’ nature of the gangs (links to fact this a is base don a true story)<br />Guarantees safety and security for Rocket – ironic<br />Final shootout<br />Documented by Rocket<br />Most of action seen through Rocket’s lens<br />Tracking shot as camera jouneies down steps past dead bodies to illustrate to scale of the violence and the consequences.<br />The beginning of the end<br />“get the chicken”<br />back to the start – circular narrative<br />symbolic of the circular nature of the violence as soon as hoods are dead, new ones immerge – sense that it is endless and hopeless<br />Point is illustrated by Runts at the end and their discussion of who they intend to kill<br />A spectator we can clearly conclude that their lives are inevitable short too and that’s the reality of the City of God.<br />