FILM STUDIES

 Discuss how key elements are used to communicate themes in your chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer.  OPENING / CLOSING SEQUENCE  Themes: - Poverty - Violence  - Government corruption  - The cycle of crime  MOTEL MASSACRE SEQUENCE Themes: - Violence  - Youth  - Morally corrupted  - Masculinity  First time quickly editing ; part music; overhead shots, we don't see the whole thing (innocent youth crime / comedic)  The same location; no sound, slow moving, see what Lil' Ze has done; corrupted and violent youth revealed. Absence of sound becomes part of the horror  MOVING TO THE FAVELAS SEQUENCE  Themes:  - Outcasts, population of the favelas  - Poverty - Government corruption - Abuse of power  Non-diegetic music and VoiceOver - upbeat and melodic tune, juxtaposes the position and landscape, ironic seeming their situation is rather dire (underdevelopment of pla...

 HOW CAN A DETAILED ANALYSIS OF THE OPENING AND CLOSING SEQUENCE IN CITY OF GOD INFLUENCE THE SPECTATORS UNDERSTANDING OF THE FILMS CONTEXTUAL AND REPRESENTATIONAL ISSUES? SIMILARITIES   DIFFERENCES   KEY ELEMENTS   - blue tinted lighting in the day time - colourless  - Repetition of the chicken escape, yet much faster in quicker editing  - Set of the favelas  - Handheld cinematography  - Performance: Lil Ze' and Ned die a very similar death, not grand, by a young child - Rhythm of the music, mirrored by the camera movement and editing  - Music integral to culture of favelas - The sequence slows down when Lil' Ze emerges when he spots Rocket, when Otto kills Ned the same slow motion occurs - signifies danger  - Both repeat motifs - danger and violence knives and guns         - POV of the camera  lens  through Rockets eyes - we end the film maintaining our faith in Rocket, trust in his perspective  - Slo...

- Filmmaking can certainly be shaped by the filmmaker's approach. Regarding this genre of film, two main contrasts of documentary would be the well utilised approaches of observational and participatory. Observational technique being moulded by Kim Longinotto's classic form of "fly on the wall" - both the director and audience being voyeurs upon a story, reaching our own conclusion. Participatory filmmaking reflects the physical involvement of a director within the documentary, perhaps being a more "flawless" presentation of a narrative, shaped in a desired way for the audience. This theory stemming from Nick Broomfield's active participation in his own documentaries, constantly shifting perspectives with his own involvement. In the case of this essay, I will be discussing how Kapadia shaped the documentary "Amy" through the approaches he considered, majority being observational, though the end product may influence a certain suggestion of the ...

  CITY OF GOD (LUND & MIREILLES, 2002) Outside of Europe:  Shift away from European o filmmaking genres, history and identities.  Geographical cultural and linguistic differences.  Social and cultural contexts engage with issues of world development and poverty.  OVERVIEW: Non-professional actors  Real places and spaces - importance of location in world cinema  Narrative structure is complex - three major strands  Spans the 1960s-1980s  The cyclical nature of the narrative parallels the idea of the cycle of crime, the repetition and even hopelessness A male world - representation of masculinity  Power and corruption Discussion points - first 35 mins Initial starting point - gang chasing a chicken who is caught in between the narrator and the police The flashback to the 60's  The context of the favela's - the governments neglect, the lack of essential resources in the housing projects The motel massacre - Lil' dice (shoots G...