How far does the impact of the films you have studied for this topic depend on distinctive uses of film techniques?

City of God achieves maximum impact through the use of cinematic techniques, and this is arguably used most effectively in the opening scene. The editing used throughout this scene is abrupt and sharp, enforcing a chaotic, hectic, confusing atmosphere that the audience finds themselves immersed in. This reflects the lives that the inhabitants of the Favela lead. One of the main focuses of the editing is the knife in the mise-en-scene, where the shots are extremely short, which could imply that the life span of people around is also very short. The first shot of the whole film, after complete darkness, is of a knife being sharpened on a rock, suggesting that the community is living on the edge of a knife, enforcing how dangerous it is to live there. This technique used reflects the genuine issues of the time the film was set in- in the favelas, someone died every 90 seconds, which demonstrates the short life span. Also, another aspect of the mise-en-scene, a chicken, is used to demonstrate the lifestyle in which the residents of the favelas are forced to partake in. A close up of the chickens foot shot a tag keeping him in place- he is trapped just as the residents are. Later the chicken becomes free and begins to escape, tracking shots show the frantic escape attempt of the chicken as it tries to escape its imminent, inevitable death. A chase sequence ensues and a long take tracking shot at floor level follows the chickens continuous narrow misses before ultimately stopping. This use of mise-en-scene, combined with the mix of long and short takes effectively foreshadows the numerous escape attempts that happen consistently throughout the film adding to the sense of verisimilitude.

how far does the impact of the films you have studied for this topic depend on distincitive uses of film techniques?

The opening scene of La Haine uses constant conflict and opposition and this is demonstrated through the technique of cinematography. This technique is used in order to create an accurate representation of the rocky, agresive world that the characters live in. The film credits themselves consist of real life footage of riots and extreme violence, it has the sense of documentary authenticity, created through the use of handheld cameras, which reinforces the fact that the issues faced by our characters are also faced by people everyday in the real world. This provides the viewer with context of the film- there was social and political unrest throughout the projects, which resulted in conflicts with authority, and in these cases the police. The portrayal of their world is continued in the form of a news broadcast, regarding a youth put in hospotal by a policeman. The zooming in on Abduls face on the screen is very typical of a real life feature, which once again, adds the feeling of authenticity and it being genuine. This is followed by a scene where Said is stood directly infront of a series of policemen. The camera pans to show the intimidating sight of riot vans and policemen. This is used to convey the constant presense of unwelcome characters and the constant intrusion on those in the projects's lives. However, the level of intimidation rapidly decreses when the camera curves round to show Said grafiting their truck. The cinemaography showing this demonstrates the constant challenging of the authority and constant opposition to those they deem outsiders- this continues throughout the film.