Themes
-Respect is everything
-Power and conflict
Narrative is used to create messages in City of God by showing the character's lives in the form of an informative documentary. Themes of corrupt government are used heavily in this film to challenge dominant ideologies about how Brazil is presented. Respect is another major theme within the film to bring across the message that the only way to be respected in this part of the world is to kill. Class difference of the police verses the people in the slums. Sexism is also a theme in the film which creates the message that it's a man's world and women are seen as insignificant; men act, women appear. Women are only used for sex in the film - male gaze.
Messages
-Respect is everything
-Women are insignificant
-No-one will win if you're fighting for power
-Death is the only way out
Context
-Military give the people the guns, corruption within society
-People had to sell drugs to survive and earn money
-Constant conflict between the military and the people in the slums
-Favellas tend to be ruled by the drug-lords
-Poverty is a main part of Brazilian life
Look at style, genre and themes
-Brazilian film-making style
