A-LEVEL ESSAYS

 GLOBAL CINEMA 

Discuss how aesthetics are used to communicate themes in your two chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer [40]

QUESTION

How themes are reflected through aesthetic qualities.  Both City Of God and Ida use purposeful film elements to produce an effective portrayal of their themes, yet avoiding exploitation of the real message that they desire to project.

IDENTIFY KEY WORDS / CONCEPTS   - COG Poverty. Deprivation. Violence. Realism. Unprofessional actors. Rivalry. Escape. Turmoil. Repetition of life. Cycle of crime. Government corruption. Authorities. Power.  - Ida Loneliness. Post-War Poland. Isolation. Melancholy. Realism. Holocaust. Memory of the past. Guilt. Scarcity. Alienation. Loss.

IDENTIFY THE SEQUENCES- (WHY THESE SEQUENCES?)    FILM 1  - Opening sequence  - Benny's farewell    FILM 2  - Aunt Wanda's exit  - Burial sequence `

WHAT KIND OF CONCLUSION WILL YOU DRAW:

There is no doubt that aesthetics, being the technical qualities forming mood an atmosphere in a film, contribute to the themes of both City of God (COG) and Ida. Both of these chosen films include deliberate choice of film form in order to project realism, this film concept creates a thin line of connection between the two films. In this essay I will be analysing how certain aesthetics are used to communicate themes, these aesthetics creating a bridge too different cultures, also enhancing the complexity of real people and real happenings in the world. City of God and Ida have an extremely effective use of aesthetics, yet they avoid the exploitation of the message the directors aim to project. 

The burial sequence midway through the film Ida, makes emphasis on how all the visual elements sustain a mood of melancholy, contributing to the solemn and isolated aesthetic of the film. Additionally, as the wide shot portrays the huge vastness of the forest, a repeated motif of Wanda and Ida feeling lost in their lifestyles is perhaps suggested. This is an effective shot type as meaning emerges, such as the characters internal difficulties and the wider context of secrecy regarding the hiding of Jews in Poland, the man failing to protect the family due to his own terror of the situation, seen by spectators through a post war lens in Poland - highlighting the isolation caused by mass division of people. Furthermore, once the group had entered the forest, the diegetic sound of digging proceeds the visuals; sound is very effective here, there is no music or dialogue, just the crunching of dry soil. In fact, there is almost a deadly silence as the actions on screen take place, providing an atmosphere of tension. When Wanda picks up the skull of her baby, she cradles it in a head scarf and stumbles away quietly, a pull focus is used when she is walking away, perhaps representing her detachment regarding the situation. Clearly, the pull focus contributes to the films aesthetic by supporting the theme of isolation - using this film technique enhances the remote qualities of the film. Of course, the film is monochromatic, this colour choice is incredibly effective throughout the entire film, though in this scene the black and white has a specifically strong impact on the film’s aesthetic. The bleak mood already provided on screen is simply enhanced by this lack of colour, the sequence itself is melancholic therefore the monochrome is a representation of the void of darkness overcoming the characters themselves. There is an argument that the narrative structure of a film can give insight into the aesthetic desired to be portrayed. Ida has a unique form in its narrative structure. I believe there is an interesting interpretation of time and how it is presented throughout the film; the sequences are chronological, but there is the idea that Powlikowski manifests a denormalisation of how day and night is perceived. For example, both Wanda and Ida drive to Lublin in the night, the wide shot showing Wanda driving and Ida asleep, the shot only lasts a few seconds, but is abruptly shifted into daylight and Wanda knocking on Ida’s window in the car. Powlikowski maintains this abruption between day and night consistently throughout the entire film, highlighting how the way sequences are connected in the narrative can have effect on the aesthetic of the film, in this case creating an unsettling atmosphere by never allowing spectators to truly adjust and feel comfortable in a certain scene. 

From the use of monochromatic colour, lighting and intriguing use of shot type in Ida; themes such as isolation, melancholy, alienation and post-war Poland become evident. There is an emphasis on the memory of the past, perhaps the guilt that follows each character personally - all enhanced dramatically by purposeful aesthetic qualities. Firstly, in Aunt Wanda's exit sequence, the atmosphere is emotionally heavy, but somehow performance remains rather nonchalant. There is a lack of other characters in the sequence, just Wanda - this is an obvious emphasis on her isolation, a key theme in the entire film. The sequence is similar to a montage - one character performing uninteresting tasks one after the other. An atmosphere of tension is created here, contrapuntal diegetic classical music plays as Wanda baths, eats, smokes a cigarette. The aesthetic is clear, Wanda lives a repetitive life, with no true purpose, similar to Ida, yet it tears her down especially after the burial scene. The way the scene is edited and shot contributes to this atmosphere of loneliness, even the bleak white light through the windows makes Wanda seem washed out and pale, suggesting her declining state. Finally, the camera using a low mid shot, Wanda puts the cigarette in the ashtray, and jumps carelessly out the window, without a second thought. This specific long and unedited section of the sequence is incredibly impactful, the jump is unexpected even though we see her mental health rapidly decrease throughout the whole film. The mood in this scene is intensely solemn, the long takes contribute to these themes. Lingering shots are a key aesthetic quality in Pawlikowski’s directorial techniques. In this specific scene, the long takes are perhaps an indexical trace of Wanda’s presence, like a footprint or photograph. The burning cigarette left in the ashtray encapsulates the films invocation of certain questions: how can something that is no longer present be represented or framed? How can loss be given visual shape, and grief a visible form? The burning cigarette is a symbolic quality suggesting Wanda’s impact throughout the film, especially on Ida. After all, Ida does end up trialling Wanda’s interesting yet lonely lifestyle at the end of the film, exploring the continuing presence of what has been lost. 

City of God also effectively uses film aesthetics to communicate intense themes of violence, government corruption, masculinity and realism. The opening sequence has an incredible use of film form to achieve these aesthetic qualities at the on set of the film. The scene begins with the sharpening of a cooking knife, a close up shot portraying the back and forth motion, matched with the diegetic sound of metal slicing. The shot quickly edits to children in the community, then back to the knife once more. These technical qualities suggest this idea of violence and danger erupting; perhaps the director does this to show the themes of lurking violence anywhere in City of God, the knife being symbol. As the sequence continues, there is a montage of the preparation of chicken being cooked, matched with the fast pace editing of the live chicken witnessing the ritual like process. This certainly manifests a tense atmosphere, contributing to the restless aesthetic of the film. The chicken then escapes from its pen, the rushing chicken is filmed with a tracking POV shot type, also with a handheld camera; this adheres to the chaotic atmosphere of the location. Lil’Ze, one of the most villainous characters of the film, notices the chicken’s escape, ordering his friends and “the runts” (children) to capture it. The children have small pistols too, this is extremely reflective of the onslaught of violence in the City of God, though they are such a young age, they still have access to one of the most dangerous weapons of all, a gun, highlighting the theme of moral corruption within the youth. There is no doubt that film aesthetics contributes to the representations and look of City of God in this sequence, violence is the main theme that is being portrayed here, simply enhanced by how it is filmed and edited.

Moreover, Benny's farewell sequence is a successful depiction of how film aesthetics can communicate themes of masculinity, instability, violence and the repetition of life. The sequence itself dives into the intense and upbeat atmosphere of a block party in the favelas, hosted by Benny himself. A montage is used to show the diverse cultural groups attending the party and Benny greeting them. The montage clearly suggests Benny's popularity, the camera almost tracks Benny through a POV shot type throughout the montage, allowing spectators to feel more engrossed within the event. The films aesthetic qualities in this moment communicate the theme of masculinity effectively; there are multiple contrasts regarding this theme between different characters, such as Lil' Ze's interpretation of manhood juxtaposing Benny's. Benny is able to swiftly float around a variety of people with positive responses from the all, suggesting that he has a lesser toxic perception of masculinity, allowing him to be friendly. Meanwhile Lil' Ze struggles in connecting with these gender archetypes (his inability to let his violent guard down), the framing and composition used in his moments of the scene highly reflect this; as he walks around the event looking for a girl to dance with, the camera is extremely close, tracking him and using his face and upper body to take up almost three quarters of the cinematic frame. Lil'Ze majorly contrasts Benny's fluidity in socialising through the aesthetic of tension and nervousness exuberayting from the shot type and cinematic frame in these parts of the sequence, certainly communicating the themes of masculinity relevant in the entire film. As tension begins to build throughout the scene, starting when Lil' Ze raises an argument with Benny after finding out his plan to leave the favelas, the use of lighting and sound becomes a paramount aesthetic feature in communicating themes. Contrapuntal diegetic techno music begins to play, coinciding with the onslaught of flashing white lights flooding the party. The visual of the film in this moment almost mimics a selection of photographs edited together due to the strobe effect of the lighting, spectators witnessing the stop and starting of Lil Ze and Benny's heated argument. The music and lighting are aesthetic qualities forming together to suggest the themes of intensity, instability, circumstances changing as quick as the light itself. After all, Benny's unrequited death abruptly occurs around one minute into their argument. The music stops, the people of the party flooding the area. A cut to a distant shot type focusing on Lil Ze shocked at what had happened, Benny lying dead on the floor, his girlfriend Angela crying in despair. The strobe lighting remains, as well as the shot type and length of the take. The long take is incredibly impactful, serving as a metaphorical diminuendo from a rumbling ensemble. The whole sequence sustains violence within the aesthetics, however there is a random element to the pattern of film form throughout, further portraying how the film aesthetics can constructively communicate themes of instability - a major trait of City of God itself. 

Overall, there is no doubt to the fact that film aesthetics successfully communicate themes in both City of God and Ida. Technical qualities of film form in the films serve as a cohort to produce moods and atmospheres, of course