Fernando Meirelles
Key Stylisation:
Environment is used almost as a character. The city intervenes whenever someone tries to escape.
A large amount of key characters meaning each is as important as the next - creates realism
Sense of Connectivity
Never just one person within a scene
Constantly moving handheld camera reflects the constantly moving narrative
Speed of narrative relative to drug present at the time and/or snowballing
Not a traditional plot as the plot points overlap and tell many different stories. The only thing consistent is the voiceover from Rocket.
Cyclical Narrative - Runts taking over etc. Lil Dice kills Goose then the runts kill Lil Ze etc.
Gradually darker aesthetic
Handheld Camera - Fragile Society/Relationships
It can be argued the use of voiceover allows for more ambitious visuals. With many different sections of stylistic experimentation (such as the shot of Benny after his makeover where the camera literally flips 180 degrees to show everyone else in the scene upside down). Montages enable the faster passage of time. Almost like a Greek Tragedy where any time someone gives in to their better nature they are punished. They are each a protagonist in their own Tragedy with the city playing the role of Fate.
Sequences for Analysis:
Very Opening Sequence
Clipper's Vision
Transition to 70s
Avoids exposition by cutting from one scene to the middle of another
No large scale establishing shots
Splitscreen to show how life doesn't stop just because it is not in screen
No marks for actors so the camera simply moved as necessary creating the chaotic sense of verisimilitude
Context:
Based on the real life experiences of the director and his friends
Relative to the changing times with costume and drugs etc
Clear divide between rich and poor
700 slums in Rio as part of the slums
Kill or be Killed
Police Corruption
Same amount of people in drug trade as regular jobs
Social/Cultural Insignificance due to Western Globalisation
Power in relevance to class and gender
Most of the actors weren't professional. The director Meirelles put together a pool of around 100 amateurs from the favelas and over the course of several months the actors were selected. The main bulk of the script was built from their improvisation sessions. After the film was released they satyed with Meirelles' company who helped them build better lives for themselves.
City of God - Mise-En-scene and Sound Awarded Grade A (apologies the HTML got corrupted and I can't fix it)
Key Characters:
Rocket
Lil Ze/ Lil Dice
Carrot
Benny
Shaggy
Clipper
Goose
Stringy
Knockout Ned
Angelica
Melonhead
Steak and Fries
Blacky
Shorty
Tiago
The Runts
No comments:
Post a Comment