City of God:
- City of God tends to show a more colourful pallet of brown, green and amber, to show the more sinister side of Urban existence and to reflect the poor living conditions in the Favelas.
- The earliest events are shot with bright colours in a very open environment, suggesting freedom, whereas 2 decades later, with a steady decline, the city's descent into poverty is visualised in much darker tones and colours as the characters become more violent and turn to crime and drugs.
- The boys don't have the education to realise violence isn't always the answer
- Much of the narrative delves into violence and drugs, showing how poverty leads to this behaviour, which then leads to poverty, creating a vicious circle that is impossible to escape. This is also shown at the end of the film, where Lil' Ze is killed by 'the runts' who then take over as one of the main gangs.
La Haine:
- The entire film is shot in black and white to reflect the bleak, cold and boring surroundings where the characters live and also suggest the black and white sense of conflicts between social groups that begins as a consequence of poverty.
- Simply revolving the action around the three characters, during a 24 hour time frame, were they are often shown sitting around doing nothing, as a ticking clock constantly marks time, suggests that they have nothing to do, causing them to become disconnected from society and results in the characters turning to things like crime, drugs and anti-social behaviour.
- The youths ignore their education and take on unrealistic roles influenced by US cinema and rap.
- We see Vince copying the Travis Bickle character from 'Taxi Driver' as he mimics his actions in the mirror. Vince only believes what he is being shown as he has not had the opportunity to explore anything else, so he has an unrealistic view of violence and believes this is how ordinary life is, effects of poverty.
- The characters don’t resort to crime in the film, however, their attitudes towards the police and society are clearly shown. For example, Vinz sees himself as a gangster, and is willing to kill an officer if his friend dies after being put in a coma after a riot, and is seen multiple times fantasizing his vengeance.
- Poverty is a constant reminder of why the characters act and behave the way they do.
- In both films, brotherhood is shown to illuminate that the characters go through because of poverty. Through poverty, communities have to work together to survive, these boys are doing just that, they don’t necessarily have the support of a strong family environment so they look elsewhere for that sense of brotherhood and belonging.
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
How far can it be argued that your chosen films provide a realistic representaion of the people and places they focus on
City of God is based on a realistic representation of life in the favelas in Brazil. The narrative spans three decades, from the 60's to the late 80's. The director Fermando Merielles tried to make this film as realistic as possible to show a true representation of the slums and favelas.
One way in which he did this was through the usage of unknown actors. Merielles discussed how he cast the film largely with non-actors, mostly young males, who were discovered in Rio De Janeiro in various favelas. Whenever he gave them the script, instead of giving them dialogue, he would tell them the intentions of the scene/sequence and allow them to improvise, only about 30% of the film was actually scripted.
Within the favelas, violence is a common occurrence, stats show that one person dies every 90 seconds in Rio De Janeiro, 90% of these deaths are by shooting. During the scene where Goose has sex with Shortys wife, Shorty resorts to violence, by beating his wife to death with a shovel, it reflects the behaviours within the favelas, providing a realistic representation of the people and the place City of God focuses on.
One way in which he did this was through the usage of unknown actors. Merielles discussed how he cast the film largely with non-actors, mostly young males, who were discovered in Rio De Janeiro in various favelas. Whenever he gave them the script, instead of giving them dialogue, he would tell them the intentions of the scene/sequence and allow them to improvise, only about 30% of the film was actually scripted.
Within the favelas, violence is a common occurrence, stats show that one person dies every 90 seconds in Rio De Janeiro, 90% of these deaths are by shooting. During the scene where Goose has sex with Shortys wife, Shorty resorts to violence, by beating his wife to death with a shovel, it reflects the behaviours within the favelas, providing a realistic representation of the people and the place City of God focuses on.
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
'What is the importance of cinematography and/or editing in communicating issues of power, poverty and conflict in the films you have studied for this topic?'
City of God
- Opening scene of City of God, close ups of sharpening of knives, shows violence, 'living on the edge of a knife', harsh cut editing, suits the style of the film, is overall about a gang of hoods chasing a chicken, indicates that humans are seen as poultry, disposed, killed in cold blood
- Editing in City of God shows the power that drug dealing gives people, the start of the film when it was based in the sixties, there were no jump cuts, or extreme close ups, it just consisted of quite quirky editing, long shots, this is to show the main drug used at the time, marijuana, which makes people feel very relaxed.
- As the film progressed, editing became a lot harsher and faster, the style of the film felt unsettled, this was to show that cocaine was slowly taking over.
- Lil' Z/Lil' Dice often has power, when he walks into a building in which his brother and his friends had recently gone in and robbed and trashed with a gun, and then kills them all, this shows the person with the gun has the power, this is backed up with a low angle shot.
- When Steak 'N' Fries is asked to shoot the small child, a point of view shot is shown with the gun centre frame, done to emphasise whoever has the gun, has the power.
La Haine
- La Haine is in black and white, represents the lack of colour in life, and the oppression that people were facing
- Time is a reoccurring motif in La Haine, as the whole film is set in 24 hours, and there is a reoccurring ‘ticking’ noise throughout the film
- In La Haine, the gun always comes between Vinz and Hubert, and is always in the middle of the frame, creating conflict.
- The opening scene, close up on Saids face, as he opens his eyes, diegetic sound is heard, shows he is shutting out the world around him.
- Point of view shot looking at the Police Station across the road where many 'Pigs' are standing, this shot was used to show the distance between them, representing conflict.
Chungking Express
- Opening shot uses hand-held cameras and fast editing, shows the realism and the fast pace of Hong Kong.
- Usage of smudge motion shows everything else moving and progressing with Hong Kong except for the cops, they are stuck in the past.
- Throughout the film, there is a wide variety of colours, this is done to show that Hong Kong is multi-cultural, also the usage of diegetic & non-diegetic Indian music shows it is multi-cultural.
- Wong is shoving a new a genre at his audience, a post-modern romance with a new wave editing style, the usage of jump cuts and montage sequences, the on-location realism and narrative dissonance, all make up this new wave genre. Throughout the film is a large usage of slow motion, this signals that the Hong Kong new wave is coming full circle.
- Editing and cinematography creates and adds to conflict, poverty and power in the feel of the film, and puts across issues that the narrative may not in a subtle, but noticeable way.
- Opening scene of City of God, close ups of sharpening of knives, shows violence, 'living on the edge of a knife', harsh cut editing, suits the style of the film, is overall about a gang of hoods chasing a chicken, indicates that humans are seen as poultry, disposed, killed in cold blood
- Editing in City of God shows the power that drug dealing gives people, the start of the film when it was based in the sixties, there were no jump cuts, or extreme close ups, it just consisted of quite quirky editing, long shots, this is to show the main drug used at the time, marijuana, which makes people feel very relaxed.
- As the film progressed, editing became a lot harsher and faster, the style of the film felt unsettled, this was to show that cocaine was slowly taking over.
- Lil' Z/Lil' Dice often has power, when he walks into a building in which his brother and his friends had recently gone in and robbed and trashed with a gun, and then kills them all, this shows the person with the gun has the power, this is backed up with a low angle shot.
- When Steak 'N' Fries is asked to shoot the small child, a point of view shot is shown with the gun centre frame, done to emphasise whoever has the gun, has the power.
La Haine
- La Haine is in black and white, represents the lack of colour in life, and the oppression that people were facing
- Time is a reoccurring motif in La Haine, as the whole film is set in 24 hours, and there is a reoccurring ‘ticking’ noise throughout the film
- In La Haine, the gun always comes between Vinz and Hubert, and is always in the middle of the frame, creating conflict.
- The opening scene, close up on Saids face, as he opens his eyes, diegetic sound is heard, shows he is shutting out the world around him.
- Point of view shot looking at the Police Station across the road where many 'Pigs' are standing, this shot was used to show the distance between them, representing conflict.
Chungking Express
- Opening shot uses hand-held cameras and fast editing, shows the realism and the fast pace of Hong Kong.
- Usage of smudge motion shows everything else moving and progressing with Hong Kong except for the cops, they are stuck in the past.
- Throughout the film, there is a wide variety of colours, this is done to show that Hong Kong is multi-cultural, also the usage of diegetic & non-diegetic Indian music shows it is multi-cultural.
- Wong is shoving a new a genre at his audience, a post-modern romance with a new wave editing style, the usage of jump cuts and montage sequences, the on-location realism and narrative dissonance, all make up this new wave genre. Throughout the film is a large usage of slow motion, this signals that the Hong Kong new wave is coming full circle.
- Editing and cinematography creates and adds to conflict, poverty and power in the feel of the film, and puts across issues that the narrative may not in a subtle, but noticeable way.
Key Points About Chungking Express
- The opening sequence of Chungking Express is in context of Hong Kong in the early 1990's. It reflects the films central films of uncertainty, separation and reunification.
- The director, Kai Wai Wong, seems to be creating a new genre, a post-modern romance, a new wave editing style, on location realism and narrative dissonance, the slow motion editing signals a slow recognition that the Hong Kong new wave is coming full circle.
- Hong Kong remained under British rule which oversaw a liberal economy, until 1997 when it was 'hander back' to China
- The opening shot uses a hand held camera and consists of fast editing, showing us the fast pace city that Hong Kong is
- The wide range of colour shown in the film shows us Hong Kong is multicultural, the same goes for the usage of non-diegetic and diegetic Indian music
- Constant reference to time through imagery, the clock, and dialogue 'I fell in love with her 57 hours later', 'love you million years' The reference to the expiry date on the pineapple tin shows us that nothing lasts forever
- Everyone knows everybody's business, the opening of the Policeman's letter emphasises that the people of Hong Kong are all confined in a tight space
- The director, Kai Wai Wong, seems to be creating a new genre, a post-modern romance, a new wave editing style, on location realism and narrative dissonance, the slow motion editing signals a slow recognition that the Hong Kong new wave is coming full circle.
- Hong Kong remained under British rule which oversaw a liberal economy, until 1997 when it was 'hander back' to China
- The opening shot uses a hand held camera and consists of fast editing, showing us the fast pace city that Hong Kong is
- The wide range of colour shown in the film shows us Hong Kong is multicultural, the same goes for the usage of non-diegetic and diegetic Indian music
- Constant reference to time through imagery, the clock, and dialogue 'I fell in love with her 57 hours later', 'love you million years' The reference to the expiry date on the pineapple tin shows us that nothing lasts forever
- Everyone knows everybody's business, the opening of the Policeman's letter emphasises that the people of Hong Kong are all confined in a tight space
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