Cityscapes of exclusion: representation of the favela, favelados and figures of authority with specfic reference to cidade de deus
My thesis analyses the representation of the favela, favelados and figures of authority in Cidade de Deus (Meirettes & Lund, 2002). Specifically, I discuss the relationship between the film's visual style and socio-potitical messages that it communicates in order to argue that Cidade de Deus employs what I would describe as an aesthetics of exclusion. Some critics have argued that Meirelles and Lund's film exploits the favelados of CidSe de Deus (the favela in which the film is set) through postmodem visual aesthetics that appear to pay homage to contemporary American gangster films. Instead, I will argue that the filmmaker's blend of documental reatism, stylised set pieces and a prevalent socio-political commentary draws greater parallels with Cinema Novo's "esthetic of hunger" (Rocha, 1997 [1965]: 59-61) and ttalian Neorealism's "aesthetics of rejection" (Liehm, 1984: 132). In Cidade cia Deus we see the emergence of an aesthetics of exclusion 1 . In keeping with Cinema Novo and Italian Neorealism's commitment to themes of poverty and a documental aesthetic, I will argue that Cidade de Deus offers an evolution of these themes and styles. Meirelles and Lund combine neorealist techniques with an accessible visual aesthetic that does not aim to exploit the favelado but rather raise awareness of 'favelisation' (the spread of favelas and the growth of poverty) in Rio. This stylistic and thematic blend results in the use of an 'aesthetics of exclusion' that I believe can be seen in other Brazilian favela films, and a selection of international films that deal with themes of inequality and poverty in an urban environment.
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