Divine Editing in “The City of God”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4HUydk0kII

In a remote Brazilian slum, men prepare a chicken dinner. A single chicken realizes he is in danger, then escapes. Divorced from sight and sound, the idea is hardly compelling. However, through deliberate editing, by splicing shots into a visual frenzy and supporting every cut with a rich soundscape, a filmmaker can craft this concept into a world that engages the viewer on the most visceral level.

My favorite opening sequence of all time is from Fernando Meirelles’ film “City of God” (2003). There are more than 50 visual cuts in the first 30 seconds. But before the audience sees a single frame, they are put on guard by sound.

The film starts with an extremely quick L-cut from a black screen. Before the viewer sees the knife, we hear the sound of metal scraping against rock. The sound is followed by a close-up of a hand pulling a blade over a whetstone. The screen cuts to black immediately after the knife exits frame. The sound finishes. From black to image to black again, the entire sequence takes less than one second. The editor repeats this sequence five times. Each time either the direction of the knife or the composition changes. The scraping creates an unsettling rhythm. The rhythm of the knife contrasts with the hectic beat of a Brazilian instrumental that fades up after the third scrape. A close up of a man playing guitar is on the screen for a fraction of a second. Title Sequence. That’s just the first 8 seconds. I’m all in. My attention is grabbed. The knife presents danger; the quick cuts propel the scene forward.

Watch the video. I could describe every sound and shot, but it is better to experience them. However, I will highlight some of the techniques at work.

The frequency of cuts increases as the first minute progresses. The editor also removes the cuts to black. This makes the sequence feel like it is building energy. Almost all of the shots in the first minute are close-ups. There are no establishing shots. This provides a lot of detail, but the quick cutting between tight shots also can make the viewer feel claustrophobic. The hand-held camera work provides energy and lends itself to the chaotic tone.

There is a great application of the Kuleshov effect as the editor cuts back and forth between the chicken’s face and the meal. The chicken wasn’t acting. A chicken’s expression doesn’t change. Sorry. No chicken has yet won an Oscar. However, through editing and the use of close-up, the audience identifies with the chicken and assumes that he is reacting to the horror he sees before him.

While researching this scene, I learned that there is a technique at work here called “elliptical editing.” This technique describes how the shots are sequenced in order to compress time. For instance, something like sharpening a knife and preparing a meal is communicated in several seconds rather several hours. I had not heard this term before, but it’s a common technique. I’ll add it to my vocabulary list.

The chicken gets escapes. The pursuers follow. The story continues. I highly recommend watching this film. One can observe great audio and visual editing throughout. The editors also use music effectivelyto create atmosphere. City of God won numerous awards, including a BAFTA for Best Editing. It was also nominated for four Academy Awards.