City of God

Directed by Fernando Meirelles
Based on real events
Set in Brazil 1970s
Look for key elements of film form + narrative themes - if we aren't talking about how things impact on the spectator we aren't analyzing


Binary oppositions:
Poverty vs Wealth, Passivity vs Choice (Rocket doesn't act like everyone else, everyone else is passive in that they act in the favela way, Rocket doesn't), Nature vs Nurture
Theme of escape - starts by chicken escaping - knives are out, people are trying to get you. Tender Trio one tries to escape but gets killed, Benny tries to escape but doesn't as he's a victim of the chaos of the favela and his past passivity/actions, Rocket only escapes because he sees another way
Poverty - the driver of the narrative (at least initially, turns to power) as people are trying to survive. It's a trap they are all trying to escape, then trying to escape by:
L'l Ze's Corruption- as poverty wouldn't be there without his corruption. Knockout Ned starts his war for noble causes, but soon corrupts to needless violence, with him quickly being able to kill. The light theme with the Tender Trio shows that they aren't corrupted, supported by their ideals of no killing and giving back. But the film progresses and gets darker as Rocket's view on life is corrupted
Talking about themes is describing, need to apply it to film form to analyze
Ie 'how does X film form help with character development in the film OR show spectatorship OR how is gender represented etc.' Plan both before you answer
Childhood - reminds us of how young they are at all times - Rocket and his obsession with getting laid, smoking weed, girls. When the kid gets kid he's looks incredibly childish
Victims of circumstance, total corruption, trapped - top shots make it look like a rat's maze
Editing used in creative ways
3 sequences:
Little kid being shot - pans over to the youngest kid, can see his stomach and chubby child legs, he's still a child and the audience and the character knows that. Both kids readily offered over their hands, facing the reality of the situation. Little kid is dressed in clothes too small, cries like an infant, brings the reality that they're children. Li'l Ze corrupts Steak. The scene itself has a narrative that's reflected in the whole film - only scene where we follow Steak but reflects other character's experience - shows Todorov's theory as it starts quiet, disruption is them capturing the runts, acknowledgement is when Steak realizes what's happening, solving disequilibrium is when he's deciding to shoot them, and the new equilibrium is him as a killer and the Runts dealt with. Self preservation, trapped in the situation, hangs about with them for want of a better life which he sees he can achieve through them. But contrasting with Rocket, who has strong morals, and Li''l Ze, who has none, Steak is in the middle as he recognizes that it's wrong but can't stand up against it. Steak represents the spectator as he's on the outside but is forced in. Doesn't focus on the two kids during the time before Li'l Ze comes so we don't know them, we judge them just as children. When the sequence starts it starts with him presented behind bars - he's already trapped in the situation. Calling them 'friends' shows his childlike need for inclusion and his naivety of the situation. Hoods are shot from low at the end and confrontation to show their power, but when travelling as a group they're short from high, showing that poverty is all around them and they're all trapped by their surroundings, never letting us forget that its there. Steak starts strutting in the scene, like he's one of them - confidence in ignorance. When we're shown the children it's shot like the documentary with the handheld camera little zooms to show detail, and immerses us via it, but when it suddenly cuts back to Li'l Ze and his crew it's steady, Resevoir Dogsesque. Kids have naturalistic dialogue, Marxist reading shows how the drug structure is similar to capitalism, and is almost a concentrated form of it. The fact that the two kids aren't shown straight away shows that it could be any kid. When the 2 kids are shown there's always something looming over them, ie the gun. Steak is shown from a higher angle than before to show that he suddenly loses power when he realizes. Ze giving the kisd a choice is symbolic as there's never a right one in the favela, like the start with Rocket saying that whatever you choose it's bad. Ze calls it 'the little hand' before he ignores his choice. Editing pace slows down as Steak makes his decision, and the fact that he' shown from a low angle but is towered around by the others shows his lack of power. Also goes from group shots to a two shot with Ze and Steak and then just Steak, showing how his yearning for inclusion ultimately lead to isolation. Steak closes his eyes when shooting to show that he knows that it's wrong, while Ze never stops talking to show his nonchalant attitude to killing, further shown by the congratulations afterwards - after which he's shown by himself even though he's being congratulated. Last shot most isolating - with Steak looking away with the dead kid in the background, like the spectator and Steak not being able to look. No music for the whole sequence adds to realism. Set in broad daylight, showing that it's not unusual
Showing Li'l Dice/Ze as he grows and kills people. Effective transition of time, clever editing showing them in the same position. Introduces the character dynamic of Benny and Ze, and establishes his notoriety through the brutal sequence that leaves the audience shocked - we still don't have time to recover from seeing him as a child on the rampage
Rocket attempting to turn to crime - good narratively - shows us that there's still good in the favela, positions us strongly behind him as we can relate. Bit where they find a body then drives past tricks the spectator, reminding us of our pessimism after seeing the previous sequences, and reminds us of the innocence of Rocket - he has a moral compass and can't do wrong (i.e. when arguing with the journalist, he goes in angry but comes out with a job). Whenever he tries to rob someone he gets something out of it - good is the only way out


Actors who aren't professional means you only see the character, and there are some very good performances.



Homework:
To what extent does editing and/or mise-en-scene help to reinforce key themes in the films you have studied?



Editing:
Opening sequence
Child death scene has long takes with little editing, more camera movement
Li'l Ze child-teenager, frame moves but the character doesn't - represents poverty etc.
Apartment, time changing, editing over time, again shows that the place, City of God, is holding them there, and while the people change the place doesn't
Benny's death - cuts on the strobe light