City of God - two sequence analysis - representations

 Refer closely to two different sequences and analyse how key elements of film form contribute to the representations in City of God.

City of God uses its sequences to explore a variety of different forms of representation, such as: masculinity, women, poverty and class, the youth, and favelas. The opening sequence is particularly pertinent in exploring representations of the favelas, by introducing them to the spectator using film techniques such as hand-held cameras and an erratic cinematography, and, whilst doing so, also explores masculinity and youth in their relationship to the society built in the favelas. Another important sequence in exploring representations is the motel massacre sequence, as it explores the impact of the favelas onto the youth and their descent into crime, whilst also looking at female characters and masculinity. These representations are consistently reinforced throughout the film, using a wide range of film features to explore them fully.

In its opening sequence, City of God gives the spectator a tour of the favelas, from multiple perspectives, using the language of film features to represent it. This is initially done as the viewer is greeted with audio before the visuals, bringing the importance of voice and sound to the fore, owing to a musical and vibrant Brazilian culture, combined with the scrapes of knives, which also explore a more violent side to the favelas. Once the visuals come in, the film uses editing to evoke the chaotic world of the favelas with a fast-moving and erratic hand-held camera briefly giving insights into the world with short shots, using the audio track of knives and music to create a frenetic energy for the scene. The favelas are immediately represented as a crowded, chaotic, and unclear place, which is backed up throughout the film, with rival gangs proving that it isn't somewhere where people can coexist. This sense of claustrophobia and tight spaces is further reinforced by the tight alleyways in which the sequence occupies, and the knee-level tracking shots of the character, providing them with little headroom and little space to run. Merielles opts for a more comedic tone as he tracks the escaped chicken, presenting a juxtaposition between the trapped violent characters and the light youthful event shown on screen, which is especially focused on when the camera brings attention to their guns. Merielles also demonstrates the multi-faceted natures of the favelas when he switches the editing and cinematographic style when the camera focalises on Rocket and his friend. Here there is a slow tracking-shot, allowing him to enter the scene at his own pace, defined by longer shots and a much more relaxed soundscape. Within this, Merielles highlights the lack of place for the innocent and uninvolved inside the favelas, as Rocket is soon caught between two gangs. By ending the sequence with a 360 degree shot, the cyclical nature of the favelas endless gang wars and violence is proven to be a key aspect in the film, and helps open up the exploration of the representation of characters in the film.

In the motel massacre sequence, City of God explores the representations of characters, based on their masculinity and youthfulness, as well as emphasising the under-representation of women within the favelas. He does this by splitting the sequence into two phases; one is a playful, light, and mostly inconsequential robbery, shown whilst it happens; and the other is a montage of almost still-shots of the cruel and heartless massacre. The playful part of the sequence provides a mostly positive representation for the young criminals here, as Merielles mediates their robbery with the poverty and lack of opportunities they live with, and the fast-paced shot, upbeat music, and comedic moments, emphasise a sense of innocence in these characters. At that moment, Merielles briefly explores the under-representation of women in the story, as one of the female hotel workers tries to convince the "Tender trio" to give up their hoodlum ways and get real jobs for themselves, before being gagged and silenced. That scene clearly demonstrates the silencing of and lack of influence from the women in the story, as the male characters carry on and ignore her. However, the briefness of the shot, shows that City of God focuses more on male representation. In this sequence, the desire for Lil Dice, who is only a child, to join in with the robbery and have his own gun, pertains to masculine expectations within the favelas, especially as the other members of the Tender trio are undermined in favour of his plan, suggesting that the masculine values involve strength and a strong will, both of which being traits of the most significant male characters in the film. This is further reinforced when it is made clear that Lil Dice did the motel massacre without any reason besides a lust for killing, illustrating the corruption of the youth under this hyper-masculine ideal. The slow-moving montage of harrowing images heavily contrasts the playful atmosphere of before, and serves as a reminder of the reality of these lives and the way crime impressions itself on the youth. The youth are represented as being more trigger-happy than their elders, and within these male characters, the favelas are proven to be an unhealthy place to grow up in.