City Of God- Mise-en-scene

Director: Fernando Meirelles
Katia Lund (co-director)

Release Date: 3 January 2003

The City of God is based in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, and is the story about the gangs in the City of God and it tells the story of two rival drug dealing gnags trying to win out the other. Throught out the film we follow a chrater named Rocket who is the younger brother of one of the memebers of The Tender Trio. The story follows the drama around the two gangs and it always comes back to Rocket and the story is always around him. I thought the stroy line for the film was reallly good. I liked how it always came back to rocket and how he always was involved with the story, also I liked the flashbacks when something needed to be explained.

Mise-en-scene

The films music is truley amazing. I really enjoyed it and thought it fit the film really well. My favorite piece of music is at the begining when they are trying to catch the chicken and the music fits really well to chasing this chicken. Also in this scene is a good example of good editing and camera angles. The angles are really low in this scene due to having a chicken chase. Sometimes it can be a POV shot and other times is just a shot following the chicken around. This adds efefct for you can alwmost feel both sides. As the chicken you can feel the need to get away and as the gang members you can feel the need to chase after the chicken and make sure it doens't escape. Jump Cuts were used in this scene to add to the quick fast moving pace and the speed of the chase. This add a sense of excitment to the movie and makes it seem more real. Also the fast pace of the editing makes the viewer uneasy and makes them feel the need to concentrate and to keep up.

The rest of the film follows in the same action, fast camera movments, wonky angles, up-beat and heavy music. The film is in spanish with subtitles and to some people this might be off putting and ghard to view but I got into reading the subititles and after a while you get used to it and it goes with the flow of the film.

Overall I realy enjoyed City Of God and I thought it would be a brilliant film for a good example of editing and Sound work.