Scene Analysis: Opening Scene

Question 1

Cinematography:
1. extreme close up of Lil Ze laughing
2. group shots
3. introduced to Lil Ze through cantic camera angle
4. Low angle shots of children
5. extreme close up of chickens blood
6. documentary style camera
7. Tracking shots of Rocket’s introduction
8. 360 pan from the gang to the police
9. lack of establishing shot

Answer 1

1. shows he is unhinged and sadistic. our first introduction to him accentuates his features (link to how he’s referred to as ‘ugly’). close up of his mouth shows him as monstrous
2. shows how the gang life is appealing to the group
3. suggests how his life is unstable
4. presents chaos they cause and the power they have over the chicken
5. foreshadows the chickens are just the start of the killings and themes of the film
6. immersive life
7. contrasts the fast shots of the chicken slaughtering
8. binary opposition: shows how Rocket sees the world
9. throws spectator straight into action

Question 2

Sound
1. Contrapuntal sound of samba music contrasting violence
2. Happy and uplifting non diegetic music in flashback
3. Fast paced music
4. Momentary silence

Answer 2

1. Increases in intensity as the scene moves on
2. Shows how Rocket viewed his childhood - naive and happy
3. Shows the intensity of life in Brazil
4. Lets the audiences take everything in

Question 3

Mise en scene:
1. knife sharpening
2. pale lighting to golden lighting in flashback
3. Lil Ze introduced as dominant
4. Dancing, laughter and singing
5. The chicken
6. Run down favelas
7. Football in the flashback scene

Answer 3

1. throws viewer straight into action and foreshadows violence
2. paleness represents coldness. golden lighting shows the simpler times of childhood and warmness and romanticises the rugged and primalistic lifestyle
3. stands out in appearance, signifies his role as the ‘leader’
4. Portrays the culture, vibrancy and unity
5. Symbolises Rocket: watching his friends get slaughtered, and wanting to escape
6. Poverty stricken
7. The football brings unity and fun, the same way the slaughtering of the chickens does in the present day. It is a much less violent and more innocent act. When the football is shot it is taken over by violence, foreshadows the shootout at the motel

Question 4

Editing:
1. Opens with quick cross cuts showing the culture and livelihood, and ends abruptly with the plate of blood
2. Cross cut between close up of Lil Ze and and wide shot of the gang
3. Jumpy and fast cuts but slow down during the showdown
4. Match on action from Rocket to his childhood

Answer 4

1. Shocking for the viewer
2. Very different shots so jarring
3. Builds up tension
4. Shows the impact his childhood had on him and how he sometimes feels like he did as a child

Question 5

Performance:
1. Lil Ze has authority and leadership
2. Rocket is conflicted
3. Lil Ze is heartless

Answer 5

1. everyone does what he says: he is loud, demanding and assertive. foreshadows his role
2. looking back and forth between the gang and the police
3. pushes man over