City Of God Openening scene analysis Through photography, mise-en-scene, sound, and editing, City Of God conveys the concepts of disorder and anarchy in the favella to the audience. This is demonstrated in the first scene, when the gang is chasing the chicken. The first thing we see in the movie, for example, is a knife being sharpened against a stone. Knives are normally hazardous things, and the fact that it is being sharpened against a stone suggests a barbaric lifestyle: this is foreshadowing Lil Z's brutal lifestyle, which he imposes on his gang through proxy. This quickly builds suspense and makes the spectator question the characters' motives. The editing heightens the suspense by using almost whiplash-inducing, flashing cuts between the knife and the dark screen, reinforcing the sense of urgency. Normally, a barbecue would be a joyful, tranquil, and familiar sight; but, the tight camera angles and fast cuts disrupt this. The sequence cuts back and forth between sever...