02:08
02:37
Chase or be Chased
City of God is dominated by movement, often embodied in a chase sequence, a character chasing another, being chased by the cops, chasing an animal or chasing after some other thing, always through the city streets of City of God. This opening chase scene with THE ROOSTER, becomes a model for all following chase scenes, eliminating the importance of WHO is chasing and WHO is being chased and drawing our attention to the act of running away itself.
CBC01: Rooster Chase
36:20
36:40
Chase or be Chased
Rocket runs through the more modern City of God to buy pot for Angelica, although he is not being chased by a physical pursuer, we still feel the urgency and sense of tension that he is chasing something. In this case it's sex. Also of note is the dog in the beginning of the clip, animals appear often in City of God from the opening, throughout.
CBC02: Rocket Runs Through City
07:09
07:30
Chase or be Chased
Similar photography in the chase scene, people replacing the Rooster. In this chase scene when the Tender Trio escape from the cops.
CBC03: Tender Trio Cop Escape
14:20
15:09
Chase or be Chased
Another escape, this time the Tender Trio escapes the whorehouse in a car. The only get away with a vehicle, except for the bike chase with Benny/Tiago.
CBC04: Tender Trio Car Escape
51:49
52:50
Chase or be Chased
Benny chases Tiago on a bike. A slight variation on the chase scene, which are usually on foot. We have seen one in a car and this one on bikes. Again it is notable that motive and motivation are secondary to the act of chasing or being chased; we never understand in advance what Benny's reason for chasing Tiago is. Only at the end of the chase do we realize it's to get Tiago to buy him clothes.
CBC05: Bike Chase
00:53
1:07
Strobe Light
I call this section Strobe Light because throughout the film flashing techniques are employed either in editing, or directly in camera by use of lights, strobes or the FLASH of a camera. It is a key device used often in the film and is made present right away in the title credits. The strobe light effect is very disorienting, and makes it difficult to see. Obstruction creates tension and rapid pace and energy (like a gunshot) and the camera flash also alerts us right away to one of the primary elements of the film; photography.
STL01: Strobe During Credits
16:50
17:25
Strobe Light
In this vision, the strobe is again used, coupled with sound. This vision of the fish motivates the character to stop running, which in some way alludes to the presence or impact of God or a divine larger force.
STL02: Fish Vision
42:30
42:42
Strobe Light
Lil Dice's first shooting spree, editing again echoes the strobe effect and rhythm of gunshots.
STL03: Lil Dice Shooting Spree
68:45
68:59
Strobe Light
In this example, it is again a camera flash that creates the effect of partially illuminating Blackies girlfriend.
STL04: Camera Flash
55:12
55:27
Strobe Light
The Strobe lights in the club, with Benny dancing. Foreshadowing gunshots.
STL05: Club Strobe
77:57
79:37
Strobe Light
In this long scene, also the pivitol mid-point in the film, Benny is shot in the club. The strobe lights become literal, and are used to the most dramatic effect in the film. Over the course of the scene, the viewer is pushed to disorientation almost to the point of nausea, and frustration from never being given a clear view of what is transpiring. The scene ends with the gunshots fired into the air, almost in time with the lights themselves.
STL06: Benny Shot
04:42
04:52
Journalism
Our narrator's first introduction, Rocket, and our first use of a still with a Ken Burns effect to set up characters. This is used to introduce every other character in the film, sometimes with or without subtitles. Again reminding us the narrator is a journalist, the still image recalls a story being told or reported.
JRN01: Character Introductions
5:33
05:43
Journalism
Tender Trio intro.
JRN02: Tender Trio Introduction
05:44
05:49
Journalism
Lil Dice and Benny
JRN03: Lil Dice and Benny
34:38
34:56
Journalism
Rocket's first camera, Angelica, Tiago. And first shot of camera POV.
JRN04: Camera POV
40:25
40:41
Journalism
The story of how Lil Dice becomes Lil Ze, includes the Ken Burns effect. 70's music. And a flashback.
JRN05: Lil Dice to Lil Ze Story
66:00
66:14
Journalism
The busdriver, who ends up being Knockout Ned, a very significant character in the story, is introduced midway through the film.
JRN06: Kockout Ned Intro
54:28
55:01
Journalism
Camera POV is like a person, spectator in the room, looking back and forth between Benny and Lil Ze. This technique is common throughout the film and is reminiscent of a documentary style.
JRN07: Documentary POV
36:30
37:39
Journalism
Blackie's apartment is introduced like a character.
JRN08: Blackie's Apartment
39:45
40:39
Journalism
Story of Lil Dice to Lil Ze
JRN09: Lil Dice to Lil Ze Story 2
46:08
46:35
Journalism
The third time we return to the scene we switch POV's several times. From INSIDE to being OUTSIDE with Lil Ze entering the apt. Then inside there is again that 3rd person POV, documentary-style.
JRN10: Multiple POV Switch
45:38
46:08
Journalism
In City of God there are often omnipresent or 3rd person POV. Sometimes these are referring to a photographers eye, sometimes it's an invisible anonymous third person in the room, like a documentary, and sometimes it comes from overhead, an allusion to God or the divine. The birds-eye view appears often during chase scenes, again enforcing the irrelevance of the identity or motivations, and demonstrating simply the activity itself. This scene of Lil Zie's first shooting spree is interesting because the overhead POV alludes to a higher presence, perhaps God, then we see the photographs and assume it's our narrator, and then we realize it's actually Lil Zie himself looking at pictures of areas he is targeting. So we switch POV's 3 times.
JRN11: Omnipresent POV
17:31
17:41
Rooftops - transitions
In City of God, transitions are often done with shots of the city itself. Kept mostly to building structures, in the first half of the film, as the city is still young, we see rows of rooftops. As the city grows and time lapses, we see bigger buildings and these are shot from ground level looking up. Again, a person running, chasing, being chased, we watch from above like looking down over a maze, and then move down to the person.
RFT01: Chase Seen From Roof
18:11
18:20
Rooftops - transitions
The transitions shots are some of the more still shots in the film, which are VERY rare. Here we can still see the mountains, alluding to something bigger than the City of God. (God itself)
RFT02: Mountains and Rooftops
18:59
19:16
Rooftops - transitions
The larger maze, the setting, the labyrinth. Again, the narration is a prayer, alluding to the bigger design that the ones we are watching interplay onscreen. Beyond the physical. Beyond the human eye.
RFT03: Rooftops as Maze
23:13
23:25
Rooftops - transitions
More space than the end of the film because the mountains in the background imply larger space. By the end of the film we don't see any mountains or landscape outside of the city streets.
RFT04: Mountains Imply Space
30:02
30:11
Rooftops - transitions
Another shot of the City, note at the end of the clip the flash or strobe of light.
RFT05: City Shot
32:38
32:54
Rooftops - transitions
That car is leaving of course we don't leave with it. We don't leave the City of God. We don't leave the death. This is Bernice's supposed departure from the City, but of course we will see her later, still there.
RFT06: Car Leaves City
36:33
36:42
Rooftops - transitions
10 years later. The taller buildings, no horizon, ending with a shot looking up from inside the buildings. We are down there.
RFT07: Taller Buildings 10 Years Later
51:58
52:10
Rooftops - transitions
No horizon, metal rooftops.
RFT08: No Horizon
58:32
58:48
Rooftops - transitions
Buildings obstruct the horizon and again looking UP at the buildings, gives more of a feeling of being trapped down inside the city.
RFT09: Buildings Obstruct Horizon, Trapped
59:17
59:24
Rooftops - transitions
Looking down again, but this time it's metal rooftops.
RFT10: Looking Down on Metal Rooftops
70:46
70:59
Rooftops - transitions
Camera drops down into the city.
RFT11: Camera Drops Into City
88:00
88:10
Rooftops - transitions
New skyline, mountains obstructed but still visible.
RFT12: New Skyline and Obstructed Mountains
99:59
100:07
Rooftops - transitions
Looking up at the buildings, being down inside the city.
RFT13: Looking Up at Buildings