The article “Violence in The City of God: The Fantasy of the Omniscient Spectator” written by Jennie Carlsten examines the usage of violence in City of God and how it is influenced by the narrative, the cinematography, the acting, the genre, etc.
In the first section of the article Carlsten writes about the setting of the movie, the slums of Rio de Janeiro, and how violence encompasses it through various mediums; for example, historically. “Brazil, and Rio in particular, suffers from particularly pervasive and institutionalized forms of violence: gang warfare, military brutality, and police corruption.” Carlsten is giving some historical background to the violence shown throughout City of God, and how that violence is grounded in reality. The favela, being the set for the majority of the film, is notorious for this, and Carlsten describes how this is shown through the cinematography; “Shots through gaps and from under objects are reminiscent of war footage and position subjects as if sniper targets, particularly in the later segments of the film.” Basically, the favela is given its violent qualities through manipulation of camera angles and positioning. When filming something in such a way, you give the set a constricted feeling.
In addition to the usual connotations associated with violence, Carlsten describes City of God as “plagued by economic as well as physical violence.” Along with gunfights, murder, and numerous other heinous acts, Carlsten describes how conditions in the slum forces individuals to resort to violence in order to stay alive and earn a living. Carlsten also makes an interesting observation of the use of Rocket’s camera being another form of violence, for example during the scene of City of God when Rocket is pinned between the police and the gangsters. “The editing of the sequence suggests not only that Rocket survives by 'shooting' the others, but that he is directly responsible for the deaths of those shot by real bullets.” In saying this, Carlsten implies that through the editing of the scenes themselves Meirelles gives concepts violent connotations.
Carlsten then discusses in more detail the motivations for the violence inherent in City of God. “Motives are suggested - evilness, vengeance, territorialism, animal instinct, initiation, and self-definition but none seem adequate to explain the omnipresence of violence in the favela.” Carlsten is suggesting that in terms of themes and narrative, there is no one reason for the violence present. By giving so many different motives Meirelles makes the true motivation ambiguous. The writer of this article also makes a comparison to the Wild West in the United State, mentioning it in order to discuss how the film subverts the audiences’ expectations of the “good” characters, like in the following quote. “Audience expectations of the Western hero (like the 'good man' turned vigilante found in so many action films) may lead viewers to sympathize with Ned, judging his violence as less excessive than L'il Ze's. Meirelles problematizes this identification by showing the escalating nature of Ned's violence.” After discussing some of the more complex qualities of the violence in City of God, such as territoriality and its generational qualities, Carlsten moves on to the character of L’il Ze. “The uncertainty the film expresses towards the justification of violence is most profound in its treatment of L'il Ze”. In later parts of the movie, L’il Ze, instead of being characterized as a universal bad guy, is shown in a more sympathetic light when Benny is killed. Even though Ze kills indiscriminately, the audience knows that he has a kind of motive as well to do the things he does.
The second to last section of the article talks about the movies portrayal of alternatives to violence. Sports, for example, is shown as an escape for the children of the favela, only to be literally shot out of the sky. The story of the Tender Trio is also told to give perspective into the true feelings of people who use violence on others. Most importantly, Carlsten discusses Rocket’s attempts to escape the violence. “His ability to produce and frame its images for outsiders means that Rocket is dependent upon violence for his livelihood.” Rocket, by using photography to try and escape, is inevitably drawn back and becomes a critical component of the violence occurring in the favela.
The last section of the article discusses a major technique that Meirelles uses to film City of God. “The use of long shots and off-screen space prevents the audience from seeing much of the violence, and deprives the viewer of the catharsis that may be produced by seeing a violent act carried to its conclusion.” In effect, by not showing the action of the event, the audience is asked to imagine what is occurring, forcing the audience to take their own perspective. To really sum up the article, all of the components of the film have some hand in creating the violence in City of God, from the camera work to the audience itself.
No comments:
Post a Comment