Opening Sequence Analysis-City of God

How does the opening of 'City Of God' set the tone, genre and themes of the film through microelements

 The most evident theme displayed in 'City Of God' is violence and this is commonly displayed through the use of animalistic references. This is theme of violence is immediately introduced due to the diegetic sound of a knife, this therefore creates a violent atmosphere and sets the tone for the film,  furthermore the clever incorporation of the chicken (this being the animalistic reference) leads us as the audience to associate the knife with the chicken. In addition to this, by utilising fast-paced editing, tension is built in the audience; this therefore sets a frantic and energized tone to the film, this tone is also aided by the use of quick stereotypical carnival music in the background. However as the opening sequence progresses, we see a close up of the chickens leg, this therefore invites us to feel optimistic for the chicken however this optimism is contrasted by a slow-motion, canted view of the gang leader, in which we see his animalistic features such as his gnarly teeth, which we as the audience associate with a predator. Also during this shot he is commanding children to go after the chicken, again this reference towards animals leads us to believe this to be a hunt, in which the chicken is the prey. This is further emphasized by the use of a POV shot, we experience the chickens darting and frantic movements throughout the slum setting. Therefore this shot has created the sense of a chase; in addition to this the background music is stereotypically associated with carnival however during this scene its uses have been contrasted and now the music is further used to add to a sense anxiousness from the chickens point of view. Also in the ultimate scene of the opening sequence the use of an arc shot also portrays violence by showing a 360 degree angle of the chicken protected by the innocent boy, yet surrounded by both the police and the local gang, this shot is powerful as it shows the divide in society and emphasizes, social groups through the use of violence.