CITY OF GOD - NOTES

THEMES

- Power

- Conflict/war

- Corruption

- Crime

- Violence

- (Romance)

- Patriarchy

Based on a novel by Paulo Lins, and based on a real story.

(BRAZIL, 2002)

BENNY'S DEATH SCENE - SOUND

- Traditional Mexican party music - more immersion.
- The slow dance music adds to the isolation of Lil Ze.
- The lyrics reflect whats going on with Lil Ze.
- Fighting words provoke Lil Ze.
- Lack of music - uncomfortable situation.
- Different situation so there is a different music.
- The sound of the shot stops the music.

OPENING SCENE 

CINEMATOGRAPHY
- Lots of close ups/extreme close ups.
- Shaky cam
- 360 tracking shot with graphic matching.
- Track back freeze frame
- Dutch low-angle shot
- Ken Burns effect = Pans/Zooms in to images.

EDITING
- Half-second cuts
- Jump cut
- Graphic matching with 360 degree tracking shot.
- Kuleshov effect

SOUND
- Contrapuntal sound
- Sound of clock
- Narration - POV of Rocket - still alive

MISE-EN-SCENE
- Foreshadowing the end; picture of rocket with the camera at the end.
- Over saturated : harsh colour.
- Graphic
- washed out colour palette.
- The diegetic audience, mediates the gaze of the audience.
- Western type film.

PERFORMENCE
- Scared facial reactions




Chicken is a metaphor for FREEDOM

SUTURE = The way the spectator gets sucked into the plot.

RUNT FOOT SHOOTING SCENE 

CINEMATOGRAPHY
-


EDITING



SOUND
- All the runts shouting over each other; no power establishment.
- When Lil Ze slaps one of the kids; hyperreal sound to show a lot of violence.
- Hear the kids crying, sadness.


MISE-EN-SCENE
- The small circular area allows them to show the runts as equal; without leader, mutual respect for one another - contradicts Lil Ze's gang.
- Gun prop - shallow depth of field and gun fills the frame - difference between both life and death.
- Lil Ze appearance mimics shaggy's as Lil Ze was idolising him and wanted to be him as he grew up.


PERFORMENCE
- Large proxemics between the two groups.
- Lil Ze is at the front of the group to assert his dominance.
- The other followers of Lil Ze are scared of him so they are in further proximity to them.
- Acting like normal kids however talking about robbing banks/supermarkets. Spectator shows sympathy for the way they are brought up.
- All Lil Ze's followers are standing the way he is standing showing how he wants to follow him directly.
- The child's facial expressions are uncomfortable for the spectator as it is an upsetting scene.

- Uncomfortable sounds of the crying children.

KNOCKOUT NED 

EDITING

- Fast paced with lots of close-ups - Confusion and fast pace confusion together with the shouting the editing.

- Elliptical editing.

- Time slots with a whip-pan.

- Slo-mo.

- Dissolve transitions - create smooth transitions - mixing the scenes together making it feel more fast paced.

- Frenetic - quick movements.

- Fades to black at the end.

- Jump-cuts 

CINEMATOGRAPHY

- Close-up shots adding to confusion

- Claustrophobic effect

- Hand held camera - documentary film adds to involvement.

- Whip-pans/whip-zooms separates different times/scenes.

- Films different spheres of action.

- Close-ups

- Shallow depth of field - christ the redeemer background - distance between (unattainable). 

MISE-EN-SCENE

- Shot of Copacabana beach - sea and fence - represents where the gangster sees where they want to be however it is very far, mentally and physically. 

- Glass shattering - franticness of the scene.
- Fetishisation
- Setting = at night, darkness.
- Rocket
- Christ the redeemer.

SOUND
- Non-diegetic contrapuntal sound - robberies
- Diegetic sound throughout - guns being clocked, glass shattering
- Narration throughout
- Sound bridge with the prayers to the trilling music.



To what extent do aesthetic qualities contribute to the impact of your two chosen films?
(Refer in in detail to specific sequences)

At the start of the scene, aesthetic qualities contribute to the impact of the film through the claustrophobic effect presented via the use of close-ups and the whips pans. These close-ups make the spectator have a sense of confusion and makes them feel uncomfortable, which helps present the idea of poverty in the favelas. This is further emphasised by the handheld camera which gives the film a documentary feel, which gives the spectator more involvement in the film. Throughout the scene, a shallow depth of field is used to show how the path to escape the favelas, is unclear to them and near to impossible. The Mise-en-scene mainly shows the spectator how bad the male violence has become in the favela. This is portrayed by the evolution of the guns and how they have evolved from Revolvers to Uzi's. The directors wants to show the spectator how the violence keeps getting worse and no one, not even the authorities are able to prevent it. The night setting increases the tense atmosphere and the fact that it is dark which connotes death, adds to this unnerving situation. The dissolve effect, creates smooth transitions mixing together the scenes to make it feel more fast paced. This tied with the fast paced editing and jump-cuts, makes the spectator feel much more on edge as everything feels very overwhelming due to the speed of the cuts. In addition, the use of elliptical editing adds to the directors message of the long lasting violence in the favelas.