Scene Analysis: 'City of God' (2002)

Following a list of the '10 Most Effective Editing Moments' I watched recently, I watched the opening sequence of Fernando Meirelles's 'City of God' (2002) and analysed its production and editing style.

• Very quick cuts of knife being sharpened - creates immediate sense of danger.

• Fast-paced samba music creates excitement and hints at location before any other context provided.
• Fast cuts and elliptical editing between close-ups: vegetables, chickens, feet dancing, musical instruments - party atmosphere, immediate intensity. Also establishes claustrophobia of the favelas.

• Handheld shots add authentic, documentary style. Links to the film's portrayal of real issues.

• Chasing the chicken through the streets. Overhead shots and tracking shots show density of location - links with the main characters' inability to escape and sets them up as targets.

• Music stops as new characters introduced, resumes as we cut back to the chicken.
• Cutting back and forth between other chicken and the other characters creates a sense of the two groups crossing paths, and some similar angles create sense that they are being chased.

• Music stops, changes to a darker, serious tone as the two groups see each other for first time. Slow-motion stresses importance of the moment, hints at back-story and establishes him as dangerous.
• Line of men pointing guns towards the camera - we are immediately allied with the young boys.

• 180 degree spin between police and men, conveys how main character will be caught between the two groups in the film. Both groups aiming guns in his direction, links to the police being corrupt.

• 360 degree camera spin transition. Clock SFX rewinding, going back in time. Title card 'The Sixties' gives context about scene, contrast in colour schemes (dark, shadowy blue vs bright, golden yellow) creates sense of nostalgia - repeated motif in film. 
• Leading lines of the wide shot point towards boy, reinforces him as the central character.

• Buildings transition into open field, relieve us of claustrophobic, tense atmosphere.