City Of God: Film Form
During the opening scene of 'City Of God', we see many film form elements that further help capture the narrative that is being told. The two main elements seen are the editing and cinematography. The edit includes several fast paced cuts while the cinematography includes many close-up and tracking shots. Behind those film forms are several meanings.
Through the scene's location, it represented poverty and struggle, a lower class based on survival. I feel as though when it comes to characters, we were introduced to the main character of the film through the chicken. As the chicken was attempting to escape, it eventually reached a standstill at a boy's feet, and from there the scene transitions to the boy's story, who is the first character we really get to know anything about during the opening sequence, perhaps indicating that the chicken represented that young boy and all people either being bullied or attempting to escape the struggle.
When it comes to the editing, the fast paced cuts build tension that makes us feel anxious for the chicken despite not really knowing anything about it. The coloring had a tinted blue that represented a cold, poverty like atmosphere, as well as the quick drumbeat music during the chase scene of the chicken attempting to escape which made an otherwise meaningless scenario feel tense as we feel sympathy for the chicken to get away. At the end, we see more of a golden coloring appear right after the chicken came to a standstill at the feet of a young boy. The golden coloring could represent the boy and the chicken's courage despite mutual tough times, while also distinguishing the difference between reality and a flashback.
When it comes to the cinematography, the shakiness of the camera during the chase scene I feel represented the starvation of the children running after the chicken, as well as the chicken's panic.
References
Bazarsky, Z. (2017, July 17). Opening Scene - City of God. Retrieved August 6, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4HUydk0kII