How far does the impact of the films you have studied for this topic depend on distinctive uses of film techniques? [35] 

City of God, directed by Fernando Meirelles uses distinctive cinematography to show the uncertainty of living in the City of God. For example, in the opening scene of City of God, the scene starts with complete darkness and then flashes to an extreme close up of a knife being sharped on a stone. The use of this can suggest to the audience that everyone in the City is living on a knifes edge, and everything is uncertain. Knifes have connotations of violence and weapons,which are a big part of the film, and gives the audience a first glimpse of what life is like in the city.The use of the fast editing could imply that life goes by like a blink of an eye in the City of God and peoples lives are short, due to violence. 
The Director also gives the film a sense of hopelessness. In the opening scene, a chicken is tied to a pole, this could suggest that everyone is caged into the city. The use of the cuts and shots of chickens being killed and plucked could imply that in the City of God you have no choice but the stand by and watch people like you get killed. When the chicken escapes it gets followed by a crowd of people, which could imply there is no escape from the City as when you try someone always brings you back. The director uses floor level tracking shots of the chicken when it escapes as it puts you into the position of the chicken, the low angles give the City a maze like affect which adds emphasis to the caged and trapped feeling that is placed on the scene.