city of god: directors interview

City of god interview

Merielles was interviewed shortly after his films release, and noted the significance of many aspects present in his film. 

the director of the City of God was interviewed after the films release:

-The film was only intended to reach audiences in Brazil rather than a wider international audience.

-the director was from a middle-class background in Brazil, however wanted to film City of God from an inside perspective. this gave audiences an accurate representation of the favelas that they were not used to being exposed to.

-the film was a success in Brazil because of the debates it provoked.

-favelas are now worse than in the period that the film ends. they are all controlled by drug dealers

-music is an important part of the film as it is involved in Brazilians day to day life. the film uses it to capture the fun environment of the favelas.

- the majority of what appears on screen has been improvised by the actors in order to give the film a realistic feel.

-Rocket represents hope in the film, as none of the drug dealers experienced hope in their lives.

-the director aimed to present violence and gangs in a negative light, rather than glamorising it.

This interview will help with my understanding of the film as it gives insight as to why the film was made, why it was a success and what the political and social context was around the time the film was made. 

city of god; apartment scene analysis

scene analysis: the story of the apartment:

How does the camerawork differ in this scene? Why?

 - the camera is fixed in this scene, and is away from the action. this means that the audience isn't apart of the back story. detached from characters in the back story- not supposed to sympathise. 

How is editing used as a narrative device in this scene?

the scenes of each group who lived in the apartment fade out and in. the scenes/ cuts of each group are also quick, which shows the audience how natural death is in the favelas. it also distances the audience from the people in the apartment, which means that they cant connect with them. this lack of connection and care for the characters matches the feeling of those in the favelas when someone dies, as death is such a natural occurrence.

What is the role of the audience here and how does that differ from the rest of the film?

 - the audiences role is to observe and internalise the information given by the director. this differs from the rest of the film, as in other scenes the audience is aloud to be involved in the story. this shows that in this scene, the director doesn't want the audience to empathise with the characters in the apartment, and only wants to give them the information of the back story.

 What is the purpose of the voice-over here?

- the main purpose of the voice over is to tell the audience what is happening in the scene, and to give them more information than just what is presented visually.

city of god; the seventies scene analysis

analysis: the seventies

How has the slum changed?

 - the slum in the 70s is much more crowded and derelict than in the 60s. it also appears to be more dirty and vandalised. it appears as though the slum has been neglected since the 60s, and more people now live there. 

The camera is recurring aesthetic motif – what role does it play in this scene?

 - the audience can see the scene from Rockets perspective, as we see the photos that he has taken. this could tell the audience that rocket is the protagonist, and that we are going to be watching much of the film from his vision and narrative. 

Why use the beach as a location?

 -the beach location could tell the audience that Rocket and his group are not at this point involved in gangs and violence. the beach is often a place associated with hope and peace, which could reflect the mood and attitudes of the group. 

Mise-en-scene

Sound

Colour palette

-the colour used to show the slums in the 70s is much darker and bleaker than in the 60s. this could signify that the slums have deteriorated, and that hope for people living there has all gone. the colour also adds to the sense of hopelessness felt by people in the slum, and tells the audience that the slums are not going to be portrayed positively in the film.

Contextual links – how is Rocket’s camera reflective of cinema novo?

-cinema novo was a film movement in Brazil which addressed political and social problems. Rockets camera is reflective of this movement as he is capturing images of the slums and of some of the violence that goes on. directors of the novo movement wouldn't intend to film in this particular style, and Rocket similarly captured images of the slums political and social issues.    

key themes:

violence/gangs

city of god; motel massacre scene analysis

scene analysis: motel massacre 

Editing:

-shots are fast pace and don’t focus on one part of the killings in particular. This correlates with the fact that the robbers are armatures, and haven’t prepared too much for the robbery, and is rather an impulsive decision.  The fast editing also creates excitement for the audience and they may feel a part of the robbery as the shots are close up and are able to show detail.

Set/location:

-the scene is set in an area which is more wealth than the slums where the gangs live. The place they are robbing is also quiet luxurious compared to buildings and accommodation in the favelas. This could have been done by the director in order to show the vast comparison of the poor and the rich in Rio, and shows that people in the slums only have to drive a small distance to reach an area of affluence.  

Cinematography:
lighting: the lighting is bright and rich while the robbery is in progress, however, when the shot goes off and the pace slows down, thew lighting becomes minimal and dark, which signifies the change in fate for the group. the colouring and lighting in the motel is gold and rich in colour, which symbolises the wealth of the people who are being robbed. the director uses these colours to show the audience the vast contrast between the rich and poor in Rio. the dark lighting and colours present when they leave the motel shows the hopelessness outside of wealth and high status. if you did not have money and status in Rio then there was no hope or expectation.

Why might Dice have suggested the hold-up at the motel?

- the people who go to the motel would have been wealthy and of the middle/upper class and therefore would have valuable belongings for them to steal. the choice of the motel also hints at the frustration and anger of the lower class in the slums towards the rich. people in slums were neglected by the higher classes and the government, so the fact that they choose to rob from higher class people symbolises the segregation between rich and poor in Rio.      

What is the importance of religion here?

How is masculinity represented in this scene?

Masculinity is presented as over aggressive and exaggerated. This is shown when the group beat up people in the motel and ties workers up to stop them from calling the police or interfering with their robbery. the camera is often tilted upwards to show the men while they are robbing. this shows them as powerful and masculine and the audience feels as though they are inferior to the masculinity of the group.

Why the change of pace at the end of the scene?

-the end of the scene is much slower than the rest of the scene, which signifies a change in fate for the group. While they were robbing, everything was going to plan and they were able to steal valuables worth a lot of money. However, the slow pace after the robbery suggests that their fate has changed due to the killings.

key themes:
contrast between rich and poor

aggressive masculinity

city of god; why was it a success

 Reasons for City of Gods success:

The film exposed the negative and more disturbing side to Brazil and Rio's slums. The largest and most influential companies and directors in Brazil at the time portrayed the country as all luxurious and exotic in order to attract as many tourists as possible for economic benefit. Many westerners would have been shocked and engaged by the City of God due to its more realistic approach to the country and would be interested in being shown this.

City of God also used many aspects of western film in their own production, which made the film familiar to western audiences. what made it stand out from many other western crime/gang films however, was the fact that this familiar filming type was being used in a foreign country, in a setting that was unknown to audiences across the globe.

city of god; context on prezi

city of god context prezi:


https://prezi.com/p/yttxe6cwtlbi/

city of god; essay question

masculinity is a major theme in this film, as it reflects the position on men within working class slums. masculinity can be seen as heightened and often presented superfluous aggression. 

With reference to two scenes from City Of God, explore how the film represents masculinity as being aggressive.

Scene: 1:42:20

Through the husband’s performance and his instant use of physical aggression, masculinity is presented as aggressive and exaggerated. Most people from the audience would react in a calmer way, rather than resulting in physical abuse and killing. The fact that the only words the husband uses are offensive and derogatory amplifies his uncontrollable aggression and lack of rational thinking.

 The camera positioning further illustrates his dominance and violence, as it only focuses on him rather than on his wife. This suggests that he has more power over his wife and is more important to the story, as well as the image that the director wanted to convey, which is that the favelas are violent places where people lose all morality and humility due to the depravity of crime.

The camera is also positioned outside the room and further away from where the violence is occurring, hinting that aggressive masculinity is accepted in the favelas as the audience isn’t allowed to intervene and are therefore made to feel helpless. The feeling of helplessness that is forced onto the audience coincides with the same emotion felt by women due to the aggressive masculinity expressed by men in order to uphold the patriarchal system which is present in the favelas. Therefore aggressive masculinity is represented as oppressive and misogynistic.