City Of God- Shaggy Leaving Scene Analysis

Explore how a deepen analysis of cinematography and /or aesthetics techniques can deepen a contextual understanding of your chosen film/s?

The aesthetics of City of God are used to give an extra layer to the narrative and allow for a different perspective to be displayed in order for the those viewing with little knowledge of the context behind the film to fully experience the lifestyle of those living in the favelas. The scene in which Shaggy leaves in particular displays an array of aesthetic techniques. The wide shot which establishes how City of God started as a bland colour palette which conveys that life in the 60's was what you made it as the high-key lighting further conveys  bright and hopeful connotations. This shot seems very voyeuristic as the camera appears to be hiding behind the bricks, it also carries connotations of these bricks are the future and the houses in the background are in the past and life will never be the same. The bland and peaceful nature of this shot relates back to the drug of choice in the 60's, Weed, for many years now Rio have had a continuous issue with drugs with 4 tonnes of drugs confiscated and destroyed a year. This scene has diegetic sounds throughout which adds to the documentary style and provides an extra layer of versimilitude, this creates a sense realism to the story which is based off a true story and reflects the true day to day lives of the people who are living in the slums of Rio De Janeiro.

The seen carries out to Klipper running and seeing Li'l Dice, who is sitting on the foundations of City of God. They way in which this scene is framed makes the kids looked trapped with walls of the City. Li'l Dice and Benny being so young yet so rich displays how age is no barrier to how life works in the favelas. With Li'l Dice in the foreground and the slums in the background conveys that Li'l Dice is the future of the favelas as he is just a kid and he'll grow along side the City of God. This shot is also a wide shot allowing for the audience to see and feel the the caged nature the slums. The hand held camera again adds to the realism and versimilitude. Klipper taking the money from Benny and Li'l Dice conveys that age is a dominant trait in the slums and the older you are the more entitled you are to having money as they are more likely to understand the value of the money and how it changes life. The editing of this scene is very slow and relaxed which portrays the laid back and almost calm lifestyle the 60s brought to the slums.










An iconic monument in Rio de Janeiro which is expected to be seen from the audience who are used to watching mainstream films which explicitly show locations with iconic land marks is never shown directly but its implied implictly through body language, such as Benice standing in front of the car. T Christ the Redeemer poser conveys that all Benice and Shaggy want from the "City of God' is redemtion. The camera being low angle looking up to Benice displays that she has the power in this moment, during the 60's women had more of an impact to the communities regardless of the the violence that is thrown towards them. Within the frame of tis shot it is clear that the chances of escape and the start of a new life in near with the light blue paint of the car provides connotation of a new life and the high-key lighting adds extra hopefulness. The mise-en-scene of this shot with Benice with her luggage connotes the eagerness and the extremity people will go to leave the City of God.









I love this shot from this scene as it clearly depicts the gender divide in the slums despite women having a voice. The body language seen from Shaggy shows that he wants to impress Benice and that he's willing to physically go out and push for their new to begin together. The pushing of the car could also been a message for how life is like in the slums and how nothing comes from nothing if you want to escape you need to really work hard and show that you are strong enough to live in such violence where guns and drugs are available to all and how death and shooting someone is a way to remove issues with 1 person killed every 90 seconds with 90% of those deaths being from gun violence. From the previous shots we see clear blue skies but from these seen on Shaggy's side there is darker clouds coming into frame which could for shadow his death and that Shaggy becomes one of the hundreds that die. In the favelas there is an inability for sustained romantic alliances due to social conditions and upbringing, this evident from this scene in particular because the romantic alliance is divided by the car, this frame alone clearly conveys that hard and disrupted life people face in the favelas, the aesthetics from this shot set the tone of the film and prepare the audience to what appears to be a running theme.









After Shaggy got shot both and him and shaggy become separated from the shot which visually displays the effects of how death impacts people and love. Relationships are always interrupted in the favelas whether the relationships are romantic or just family the vast majority is interrupted by death,  violence or drugs. The use of this shot with Shaggy running surrounded by no one conveys that in the favelas death is something you deal with on your own. The mise-en-scene of this shot with vast open environment belittles Shaggy and the handheld camera with the non-diegetic music over the top separates the audience from the scene with a more unrealistic and different tone from what the scene was initially conveying. The change from the documentary style to a more mainstream style film allows the scene to stand out








The over the head shot of the car turning back into the 'City of God'. The use of the overhead shot emphasizes the imprisonment the favelas have on the people living within its confines. The mise-en-scene has changed slightly the once clear blue skies have been replaced with clouds which add to the emotions that was intended to be evoked. The use of the pathetic fallacy adds extra narratives and emotions in the film this scene is a key motif to how life is in the favelas as the people living within the walls of the city rarely if ever get to leave. To a modern day audience this is shocking as we are free to go wherever we want with little to no resistance which shows the stark contrast in lives.








Following on with the overhead shot with Shaggy lying dead with his arms spread out like Christ the Redeemer implies that only in death are you 'redeemed' from your life's sins, the iconic landmark of Rio de Janiero only being present as a metaphor through body language conveys that the City of God is unlike mainstream films and focuses on the serious and real issues that Brazil face rather than allowing the audience to know where in the world these issues are occurring.








The extreme close up on the camera from Rockets POV alludes Rockets fascination and intrigued nature. The close up on the camera rather than the body implies that the dead are a common occurrence in this city but seeing an expensive and fancy equipment is unusual. The close up being uncomfortably close conveys that Rocket is really studying how the camera works and the use it has.








Rocket being dragged away from the crime scene to go to school shows the fragile line between crime and a life of violence and drug as school is the only way kids in Brazil are safe from the violence. Despite this, Rocket is being dragged away but he’s too intrigued with the camera.