Film Analysis: City of God

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City of God is an action-packed, drama-filled, Brazilian crime film that follows the lives of several young men whose lives all take a drastic turn as the city they once knew falls to drugs, crime, violence and corruption. In my essay I will focus on three young men in particular who all seemed to be consumed by the chaos that surrounds them. Through a series of hard hitting edits, sharp camera cuts, intense imagery and vivid storytelling, the film comes to life to portray the reality of life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, and also helps to develop each characters persona.
The film’s opening sequence commences with an extreme close-up shot of what seems to be a very sharp blade scraping against a rock to make it sharper. The camera cuts back and forth from a blank screen to the blade making it difficult to completely shown in its entirety, but very easy to hear which leaves the audience in suspense, not knowing what the blade will be used for. Along with the sound of the blade sharpening, up-tempo Spanish music, paired with other string instruments can be heard playing in the background. As the scene develops the audience gets more cross cuts and close up shots of what looks to be the preparation of a meal; carrots peeling, water boiling, chickens getting skinned and other things of that nature. Turns out that the blade was actually being used to kill chickens for this meal, suggesting that the film must take place in rural area or somewhere far from civilization where the people must fend for themselves. Shots of people shuffling their bare feet in dirt to the rhythm of the music also let the audience know that the film may take place in an impoverished location, possibly even a slum. Drinks are being served and people are da...

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...limited. For most it was either kill or be killed. Rocket and Lil Z’ were both from the same place, born with the same advantages and disadvantages yet took two very different paths in life. One went down a very dark and cold path, while the other was headed towards something much brighter. Ned was like a combination of Rocket and Lil Z’, but the city ended up changing him for the worse. The frantic cutting from shot-to-shot was done to both demonstrate the chaos within the slums, but also to keep the attention of viewers. The fast pace editing and other cinematographic elements all helped to reveal each of the characters true identities. The film transforms every detail of the narration into a scene filled with details and rich composition where viewers are able to follow with ease what seems to be a complicated storyline filled with gangsters, crime and violence.

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