Essay (Assessment Week); G321

"How is the chicken used as a metaphor on the opening sequence of City of Gods?" (800-1000)

          In the opening sequence if City of God the writer portrays a chicken as a main character. In this essay I will be talking about how the chicken has been used as a 'metaphor' for the opening. The definition of a metaphor is a form of expression in which a quality or characteristic is given to a person or thing by using a name/imagine, in this case the chicken.From the first few seconds the genre becomes very clear to us due to the high action chase scene shots. These are very fast and are of knives being scrapped across a surface which suggest that this film is crime and action. Also, these shots suggest that the audience are from a higher age range as these are very deadly weapons. The knife automatically becomes a signifier as it acts for death, murder and gangs. This shows that towards the end, someone will end up getting hurt.The first full shot we see is of a chicken therefore the audience may think that it is something to do with the main character. However it could be used as a metaphor due to what it is representing which could be struggle and escapism of life. In the opening sequence we see shots of lots of poultry where people are cutting vegetables or other things which relate back to the chicken being killed shortly. There is one which is looking around to see what is happing, therefore is trying to escape, the creator give this chicken a human like feel because when it does escape it seems to be very scared due to the extreme close up shots used, which are normally done to show emotions. This links in with what the young boy said towards the end "In the city of god, if you run away they will get you, and if you stay they'll get you too". This suggests that in the city no one can escape what they get themselves into especially if there life depends on it.

This could foreshadow what may happen during the film as we eventually get introduced to the main character.

Due to the escapism of the chicken the evidence get to feel where the film is based as the chicken is on the loose in a part of the Brazilian slums, the visual language such as camera shots were very varied  throughout the opening. The audience are put in the chickens shares when it is on the run as the camera is panning through the allies and short cuts of the slum, which shows that the chicken is trying to escape. Whilst the camera is panning behind the chicken; there has been an addition of non diegetic music which is a fast tempo which connects how the chicken may feel.The aural language such as the non diegetic music seems to be getting even louder as the chicken has escaped this music seems to stop every time the chicken is not in the scene, this could have been added to engage the audience watching. The diegetic sound is coming form the contribution of how the atmosphere in Brazil is like for example hear the clucking of the chicken, suggesting fear and some instruments playing in the background suggesting that in the streets of Brazil line music is normal.The opening sequence shows nearly populated streets and poultry places which shows that even through there are people everywhere in the slum, the chicken is on its own also foreshadowing things which have to come such as someone being stranded and being left alone with literally no hope. Also the colour scheme throughout the trailer seems to be very dull and grey, the chicken is the main thing has a "bright" colour due to it being orangey/brown which connotes the impact the chicken has. The colour of the chicken could also connotes a "fire" like feel making the audience just a bit feared with what's too come.From the way the characters are speaking and by the their actions the audience can tell that the chicken is being treated in such a horrible conditions, this could foreshadow how some of the characters may be treated suggesting that the storyline may include people being treated in vile ways and end up getting hurt. This also helps portray what the genre of the film is.The narrative of the opening sequence changes as the beginning it focuses on all the poultry; especially the chicken, connoting it to be a metaphor of the opening. Then we introduced to what we only assume are the 2 characters, who are young teenage boys having their own conversation where one is extremely interested in his camera. This then comes to the young Brazilian black boy who the film is based on and goes into a flashback of his childhood.

The structure of this narrative is different as it does not have a clear storyline which is easily recognizable and does not start with the main character.