City of God and Pan's Labyrinth: Key Scenes

The opening sequence of City of God begins with a series of close ups and extreme close ups that are rapidly edited together in a montage, or MTV style. Immediately we are made aware that the shot rate (short takes) is considerably quicker than anything we would find in Hollywood, and the close ups give us a real sense of the environment in which the action takes place. Meirelles establishes the favela as a lively place but also a violent one, and the violence that is hinted at implies to the audience that it will be the central theme of the film; the cause of both the film’s controversy and the film’s success. Shots include a knife being repeatedly sharpened (the amplified or enhanced, pleonastic sound of which is the first thing we really hear, even before we see the visuals), chickens being slaughtered, mojitos being made, people dancing, blood (from the chicken’s neck) and a guitar being played; all of which (in conjunction with the diegetic samba music which is being played) give a sense of the rhythm of the favelas.

Much of the mise-en-scene in these shots place the audience culturally within Brazil, and mark City of God out as being different from the traditional Hollywood films that western audiences are used to. By beginning with a series of close ups, rather than a conventional (in a Hollywood sense) extreme long shot, to establish the environment, Meirelles thrusts the audience straight into the environment. The pace of the editing also helps create this intensity, arousing curiosity and hinting at the exhilarating ride through the lives of these Brazilian gangsters that the audience will witness. The metaphor of the chicken is important – we see one tied up (symbolising the idea that it is impossible to escape the favelas, something that is emphasised throughout the narrative) and when another one tries to escape it is unable to fly. Clearly, the message is that the favela is like a prison to these characters – they are stuck in this dangerous setting and their day-to-day goal is simply to stay alive; the concept of fleeing is just too unrealistic.

The director frequently uses canted framing or Dutch angles to create a sense of unease and disorientation for the audience. This technique is rarely used in more conventional Hollywood cinema but is frequently used in this sequence, and in City of God as a whole, to create tension and make the audience feel that they are always on the verge of witnessing violence. The favela is an ‘unstable’ environment and the way that Meirelles manipulates film form constantly reinforces this.

Before we see any images, we hear the very quiet sound of the street, which is shockingly punctuated by the piercing sound of a knife being sharpened, the glint of which flashes briefly, but repeatedly, before our eyes. The first character that we see is Rocket behind a camera that is pointed towards the audience. As Rocket is thrust backwards from close up to extreme long shot, and is placed behind bars, the film’s title appears onscreen. This shot reinforces the feeling of imprisonment and even though we do not know it yet, foreshadows a crucial sequence later in the film that ironically gives Rocket his freedom (his photos of police corruption and Li’l Ze’s death). This shot also emphasises Rocket’s role in the film; he is our narrator who observes the action. The framing of the shot suggests a ‘distance’, implying that he may not be directly involved in the violence of the favelas.

Jump cuts are often used in the opening sequence to further unsettle the viewer (this style of editing is again rarely found in Hollywood cinema where the principles of continuity editing are followed). Significantly it is when the samba music stops that the camera fixes on a plate of blood, possibly as an indication of the bloodshed that is to follow. Whilst the editing fits in with the rhythm of the music, samba is not a type of music that the audience would normally associate with violence. Samba in Brazilian films prior to City of God often acted as a cultural signifier, indicating a “picture postcard” image of Brazil. Here, however, it is used to show the two sides of Brazil – that of ‘carnival’, and the reality of life in the violent slums. The samba music is quickly replaced with the sound of drums, and this urban and tribal soundtrack more accurately mirrors the violence that is hinted at with the arrival of Lil’ Ze (shown repeatedly in canted close ups). The director repeatedly uses tight framing throughout this sequence to create tension, and to also give the audience the impression that violence will soon erupt.

These shots also indicate the maze-like, cramped conditions of the favela (something that is contrasted in the flashback sequence that follows, where the favela is shown, in wider shots, as an open, uncluttered, and much more inviting environment). The camerawork, at this point, is handheld and shaky, giving the sequence an almost documentary feel, adding the verisimilitude that Meirelles was so keen to achieve. The energy of the slums is transmitted to the audience through both very mobile camerawork (tracking shots and pans) and lots of movement within the frame.

There is a huge contrast in styles, both visually and aurally, when we meet Rocket who is shot in a style much more in keeping with what we are used to from Hollywood. The camera simply tracks his movement smoothly, and the director uses a long take with no cutting. By crosscutting to Rocket, Meirelles allows us a moment to draw breath and take in what we have seen so far. The difference in styles also indicates that Rocket is a very different character to Li’l Ze. As Meirelles cuts back to Ze, we see the gangster push over a man carrying pots and pans. The director chooses to show this action a number of times (temporal frequency, a technique Meirelles employs frequently throughout the film) drawing attention to the violence of the slum and Ze’s position of power as he pulls a gun, and threatens the man for no reason. The audience realise that Ze is not a man to cross, and Rocket’s narration supports this. These shots also break rules of continuity editing such as the axis of action and the rule of match on action, further reinforcing the unsettling and dangerous nature of life in the slums, where a life can be taken in an instant. Low angle shots of the runts (the terrifyingly young children who roam the streets armed with guns) suggest their superiority and dominance, and the fact that they seem to run towards the camera (and therefore us), is one of the reasons why the scene has such urgency and vitality.

The crosscutting between Li’l Ze’s gang and Rocket leads the viewer to believe that their paths will soon cross, creating suspense for the audience. At the point that the characters meet the director uses a number of very stylistics techniques. Firstly, when Li’l Ze enters the frame with his gang he does so in slow motion – this marks it out as an important moment to the audience, whilst also representing Rocket’s emotional state (as his world grinds to a halt), as he sees the man he has been trying to avoid. The director manipulates the sound so that the audience hear a noise similar to the rushing of blood in Rocket’s ears, as all the background street noise seems to disappear. The use of these techniques help us to experience the fear and shock that Rocket is feeling, and is therefore highly subjective, helping to position us with him. Sound perspective and point-of-view shots are examples of perceptual subjectivity, but the director goes further using mental subjectivity as we hear Rocket’s narration. The director uses an unusual circular pan around Rocket, whipping quickly in a blur – this disorientating shot also mirrors Rocket’s state of mind. Two more circular whip pans are used as Rocket begins to narrate, allowing us to see that he is trapped between armed police and an armed gang (canted framing is also used, creating further unease for the audience). Rocket’s voiceover supports the idea of being trapped in the slums as he suggests that he will die if he flees, and he will die if he stays. A final circular pan, that continues round and round Rocket past 360 degrees, leads us to a flashback to the 1960s, where we see Rocket as a boy. The majority of the rest of the film is a flashback leading up to this opening sequence, and by the second time we see it we have a much greater understanding of the causes that have led up to this point. The narrative structure of City of God also marks it out as different from Hollywood.

The circular pan ends with a long shot of a young boy in the centre of the frame, stood in exactly the same pose as Rocket was in the street. This graphic match leads the audience to infer that this is a young Rocket, and also that this is the same street in the same favela. Non-diegetic titles confirm that we have gone back in time, as ‘The Sixties’ flashes onto the screen.



TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

Opening Scene

The opening sequence begins with a series of close-ups that are rapidly edited together in a montage or MTV-style. The shot rate is considerably quicker than anything we would find in Hollywood and the close-ups give us a real sense of the environment in which the action takes place. The director establishes the favela as a lively place, but also a violent one and the violence that is hinted at here is one of the central themes of the film, and the cause of both controversy and the film’s success. Shots include a knife being repeatedly sharpened (the sound of which is the first thing we really hear), chickens being slaughtered, mojitos being made, people dancing, blood, and a guitar being played – all of which, in conjunction with the samba music which is being played, give a sense of the rhythm of the favelas.



A lot of these images place the audience culturally within Brazil and mark this film out as being different from the traditional Hollywood films that western audiences are used to. The pace of the editing creates intensity and arouses curiosity, drawing us immediately into the narrative. The metaphor of the chicken is important – we see one tied up (symbolising the idea that it’s impossible to escape the favelas) and when another one tries to escape it is unable to fly. Clearly the message is that the favela is like a prison to these characters – they are stuck in this dangerous setting and their day to day goal is to simply stay alive (the concept of fleeing is just too unrealistic)

N.B. Compare with News from a Private War documentary



The director frequently uses canted framing or Dutch angles (the shot looks wonky/lopsided) to create a sense of unease for the audience. This technique is rarely used in Hollywood cinema but is frequently used in City of God to create tension and make the audience feel that they are always on the verge of witnessing violence.



The first thing that we hear before we see any images, is the very quiet sound of the street which is shockingly punctuated by the piercing sound of a knife being sharpened, the glint of which flashes briefly, but repeatedly, before our eyes. The first character that we see is Rocket behind the camera that is pointed towards us. He is thrust backwards from close up to extreme long shot and is placed behind bars as the title appears on screen (this further re-enforces the feeling of being imprisoned and, even though we don’t know it yet, points forward to a crucial sequence later in the film that ironically gives Rocket his freedom). This shot also suggests Rocket’s central role in the film – he is our narrator who observes the action and it suggests to us that he may not be directly involved in the violence of the favelas.



Jump cuts are often used in the opening sequence to further unsettle the viewer (this style of editing is again rarely found in Hollywood cinema where the principles of Continuity Editing are followed). Significantly, when the samba music stops the camera fixes on a plate of blood, which is possibly an indication of the bloodshed that is to follow. Whilst the editing fits in with the rhythm of the music, samba, as a style, is not a type of music we associate with violence. Samba in Brazilian films prior to City of God acted as cultural signifier, of a “picture postcard” image of Brazil. Here it is used to show the two sides of Brazil – that of carnival and the reality of life in the violent slums. This samba music is quickly replaced with the sound of drums and this more urban and tribal soundtrack more accurately mirrors the violence that is hinted at with the arrival of Lil’ Ze (shown repeatedly in canted close ups). The director repeatedly uses tight framing throughout this sequence to create tension, to give the audience the impression that violence will soon erupt and to indicate the maze-like, cramped conditions of the favela. The camerawork is hand held and shaky giving the sequence almost a documentary feel – this adds verisimilitude (realism/authenticity). This mixing of styles (that is, flashy visual against a documentary feel) may also account for the film’s popularity. The energy of the slums is transmitted to the audience through both very mobile camerawork (tracking shots and pans) and lots of movement of subjects/characters within the frame.



There is a huge contrast in styles (both visually and aurally) when we meet Rocket (and his friend) who is shot in a style much more in keeping with what we are used to from Hollywood. The camera simply tracks their movement smoothly and the director uses a long take with no cutting. By crosscutting, the director (Fernando Meirelles) allows us a moment to draw breath and take in what we have seen so far, but the difference in styles also indicates that Rocket is a very different character to Lil’ Ze. Also there is no music in the sequence with Rocket – indicating a certain calmness, and maybe implying that he is somehow ‘outside’ of the favelas. The director chooses to show the same action a number of times, which is known as temporal frequency (a technique he employs frequently throughout the film), as Lil’ Ze pushes over a man carrying pots and pans. This draws attention to the violence of the slum and Ze’s position of power, and as he pulls a gun it shows that he is not a man to cross, as Rocket’s dialogue indicated earlier. These shots also break rules of continuity editing such as the axis of action and the rule of match on action, further unsettling the audience and emphasising the fact that violence can erupt at any moment.



Low angle shots of the runts suggest their superiority and dominance in the favela, and the fact that they seem to run towards the camera and therefore us, is one of the reasons why the scene has such urgency and vitality.



The crosscutting between Lil Ze’s gang and Rocket and Stringy has led us to believe that their paths will soon cross – this creates suspense. At the point that they meet the director uses a number of very stylistics techniques. Firstly, when Lil’ Ze enters the frame with his gang he does so in slow motion – this both marks it out as an important moment whilst also representing Rocket’s emotional state as he sees the man he’s been trying to avoid, and his world grounds to a halt. The director manipulates the sound so we hear a noise similar to the rushing of blood in his ears as all the background street noise seems to disappear. The use of these techniques help us to experience the fear and shock that Rocket is feeling and is highly subjective helping to position us with him. Sound perspective and point of view shots are examples of perceptual subjectivity, but the director goes further using mental subjectivity as we hear Rocket’s narration. The director uses an unusual circular pan of Rocket – the camera appears to move around Rocket and seems to whip quickly in a blur – this disorientating shot also mirrors Rocket’s state of mind. Two more circular whip pans are used as Rocket begins to narrate allowing us to see that he is trapped between armed police and an armed gang (canted framing is also used). His dialogue supports his idea of being trapped in the slums as he suggests that he will die if he flees and he will die if he stays. A final circular pan that continues round and round Rocket past 360 degrees, leads us to a flashback to the 1960’s and Rocket as a boy (shown in a graphic match). The majority of the rest of the film is a flashback leading up to this opening sequence, and by the second time we see it we have a much greater understanding of the causes that have led up to this point. The fractured narrative structure of City of God, with its separate ‘chapter’ headings, also marks it out as different from Hollywood.



The circular pan ends with a young boy in the centre of the frame stood in exactly the same pose as Rocket was in the street. This graphic match leads the audience to infer that this is a young Rocket and also that this is the same street in the same favela. Non-diegetic titles confirm that we have gone back in time as The Sixties flashes onto the screen.





The Sixties

The stylistic sepia tones mark this portion of the film as nostalgic - a better, more peaceful time in the favelas. This flashback indicates just how much the favelas have changed and just how dangerous they have become. This is supported by the mise-en-scene (the costumes the characters wear, the appearance of the lactation and the fact that very few characters carry guns) and the composition of the shots. In the opening sequence the director employed tight framing creating a real sense of claustrophobia and danger – here the director uses loose framing with lots of space around the characters possibly suggesting more freedom and less danger. We’re introduced to key characters as youngsters and the first time we see Lil’ Ze (then known as Lil’ Dice) he is delivering orders and acting violently – possibly suggesting that he is a product of his environment. Rocket continues to narrate (as he does throughout the whole film) indicating that we are seeing things as he remembers them even though there are certain sequences at which he is not present. Throughout this sequence the director continues to use stylistic techniques such as freeze frames (a technique he repeats when introducing other characters). In one shot, for example, we hear the non-diegetic sound of a camera as Rocket introduces himself (tying in with his role as a photographer, the observer, and indicating that we are to witness “snap shots” of life in the favelas). The director continues to use non- diegetic titles as Rocket tells the story of the ‘City of God’ and we are introduced to a trio of petty criminals who appear amateur compared to Lil’ Ze and Carrot later in the film. The crimes that they commit are largely benevolent, helping out the poor in the slums. The social comment that the director is making is that this type of crime is a necessity for the slum-dwellers who have been badly let down by a government that seems not to care for its poor. This criticism continues throughout the film and even though we are obviously positioned against characters like Lil’ Ze, the real focus of the director’s criticism is the government and authority figures such as the police.



Shots of a young Benny and Lil’ Dice already hint at the fact that they are inseparable (lots of tight two shots) – and it is Benny’s decision to move on and leave later in the film, that is a crucial turning point in the narrative. Throughout this sequence there are images that hint at Lil’ Dice/Ze’s violent tendencies, so it is no surprise later when he commits the massacre in the hotel and he turns into the feared drug lord of the favela. The music and the lazy camerawork all suggest a relatively idyllic time.



Rocket’s commentary indicates the film’s political message and confirms the director’s suggestion that the film was intended to create awareness of how the poor are treated by the government. He also refers to the “picture postcard image” of Rio de Janeiro which was so prevalent in state-released Brazilian films prior to City of God – this marks out one of the reasons why the film created such an impact because it was so different to previous Brazilian films which refused to shine a light on the realities and hardships of life in Brazil (it would be appropriate here to talk about Third Cinema/Cinema Novo)



The motel sequence is clearly a turning point in the narrative for both the Tender Trio and for Lil’ Ze. The director shows us the Tender Trio robbing customers at the motel and them fleeing the scene – this is followed by a panning shot that seems to go through a wall showing that the customers and the staff gave been executed (the fact that there is no music on the soundtrack serves to emphasise the importance of these shots). The director is purposefully withholding story information for us, showing us only an effect (the dead bodies) without allowing us to see the cause. Showing us an effect and not a cause creates curiosity and this type of narrative construction again marks City of God out as different from Hollywood cinema. The director makes us wait for answers and when he returns to this moment later in the narrative we see events in a new and more shocking light. The shooting of an innocent civilian by the police suggests they are both trigger-happy and incompetent and hints at the corruption that is highlighted regarding the police later in the film. This supports the idea that the film has a political motive rather than being simply entertaining.



Good example of the sorts of camerawork we associate with documentary filmmaking can be found towards the end of the sixties sequence – very mobile, handheld and shaky which is perhaps used by the director to give the scenes verisimilitude. Towards the end of the sixties sequence we see an extreme long shot of the favelas – simple looking, relatively clean, not a particularly horrendous place to live.

Stylistic techniques of freeze frame camera shots are also used.

N.B- This shot acts as a contrast to what we see in the next sequence, which highlights the serious decline of the favelas and just how dangerous they have become.





The Seventies

The director jumps ten years (ellipsis) via the use of a very un-Hollywood technique. A car drives past Rocket and Stringy as they are walking and acts as a wipe after which we continue seeing them walking. The music changes significantly at this point from typical Latin American rhythms to more globally recognised seventies funk/disco. The central characters have aged significantly, the clothes they wear and most importantly the sepia tone of the sixties have gone. The initial shots of the seventies on the beach are typical of the “picture postcard” images of Brazil that Rocket refers to earlier and that Western audiences would have been used to. These images do not prepare us for the horrors that are to come. Stylistic techniques of freeze frame camera shots are used again. Rocket is established as different from the other slum-dwellers as he mixes with possibly more middle class peers on the beach – the director emphasises that it is his camera that allows him to do this which points forward to the fact that it is his camera that allows him to escape these favelas at the end of the film. The shots we see of Rocket running through the favela show just how much it has changed – it is maze-like, it has been built up by high rise blocks and it looks much dirtier than it did before.



Another impressive sequence in terms of visual style is the story of the apartment which is shown through a montage of dissolves. The director condenses a number of years into a few minutes and the story of the apartment mirrors the decline of the favelas that we may have missed when the director jumped from the sixties to the seventies. This series of dissolves supported by Rocket’s narration fills in some of the back story. What is interesting about the sequence is firstly that the camera remains static and secondly that with every dissolve the mise-en-scene changes slightly, moving from a reasonably pleasant domestic apartment to the decaying mess we see now. This sequence also allows for the introduction of characters who play a significant role later in the narrative, for example Carrot and Blacky. This sequence is framed with the repetition of a scene involving Lil’ Ze which takes on more significance the second (and third) time that we see it. This manipulation of temporal frequency (showing the same scene more than once) is something that is rarely found in Hollywood cinema and draws attention to the stylistic nature of the film.



The mise-en-scene of the first shot of the apartment is homely and bathed in sepia, which suggests we are back in the sixties. The suggestion at this point, with a mother selling drugs to support her children, is that crime is a necessity in order to survive in the favela. The dealer here is not your typical criminal. The sequence shows how the nature of violence has changed and highlights the fact that the selling of drugs is no longer a simple necessity, but big business, and it is emphasised that violence is necessary in order to simply survive. The hint that the apartment is ill-fated may lead us to predict Lil’ Ze’s downfall.



The stylistic nature of the director’s filmmaking continues with the story of Lil’ Ze as we flashback to the gangster as Lil’ Dice and it is revealed to us what actually happened during the massacre in the motel.



The Story of Lil’ Ze

Lil’ Ze’s story begins with an incredibly rapid montage of shots that we have previously seen of the tender trio fleeing the motel. Now we see events in a wholly different, and much more sinister, light revealing just how dangerous and evil Lil’ Ze is. As Lil’ Ze shoots Goose he is shot from below and this low angle suggests Lil Ze’s superiority and the fact that he is now in control. The montage of shots that follow, all show Ze in the same dominant position as he kills someone and in every shot he is a little older. In the final shot of the montage Lil’ Dice has become Lil’ Ze. The framing of the shots that track Ze as he moves through the favelas are canted – again very stylistic and atypical of Hollywood and these have a very unsettling effect on the viewer – canted framing may also reflect the characters’ use of narcotics. Further sequences in Lil’ Ze’s story confirm his power, and the director again uses stylistic film techniques such as speeding the film up (probably achieved by frame cutting) and bird’s eye view shots. The third time we see Lil’ Ze enter the apartment the narrative has filled in his back story to such an extent that we are certain there will be a violent outcome – importantly we now see events from Ze’s perspective as it is his story. During the scene with Lil’ Ze and Rocket in the apartment the camera continuously goes in and out of focus, possibly mirroring Rocket’s perspective as he fears for his life, or it could reflect the “mist” of his anger rising, either way the camerawork again draws attention to itself.



One of the sequences that came in for criticism, is when Ze orders one young child to kill another young child, and it was scenes like these that led some critics to suggest that the film glorifies violence and that we as the viewers are revelling in these people’s misery. An alternative viewpoint is that regardless of the flashy style the film dares to highlight the awful reality of life in the favelas that Hollywood wouldn’t. The level of shock at the death of the child is something that is rarely felt when watching a Hollywood film and rather than glorifying the violence, this sequence hammers home the film’s important message (think about the relatively restrained style at this point, compared to what we have witnessed earlier, and whether this makes the scene all the more shocking).





Bene’s Farewell

In the club sequence during the party organised for Bene, tightly framed shots of revellers are contrasted with shots of Rocket more loosely framed in the DJ box. The director continuously places Rocket outside of the action suggesting that he is distanced from life in the favelas and indicating to us that he may well manage to break free. Bene is shot as part of the crowd suggesting to us that this where he belongs and that he may struggle to break free. His popularity is indicated in a montage sequence which comprises the various different groups of people he mixes with – stylistically both the music and the camerawork change to reflect the group he is with at any given time. Significantly Ze is shot on his own which further emphasises the contrast between him and Bene. Constant extreme long shots of the crowd, continuous movement of the camera and the tight framing indicates that we are building towards a terrible moment – the claustrophobia of the shots create tension and the suspense is increased by the way the pace of the editing speeds up , the flickering of the lights and the crosscutting between Blacky and Bene.



During moments of violence the director uses whip pans, very mobile camerawork and canted framing to unsettle us and to mirror the way that the characters are feeling. Many of these techniques are unusual to Hollywood filmmaking but are used frequently throughout this film. The shots in this sequence do not flow seamlessly in the way that we would expect from a Hollywood film, instead they seem to be in conflict with each other – extreme long shots follow close ups, high angles follow low angles and the director repeatedly breaks the rules of continuity editing by ignoring the axis of action, match on action, eyeline matches and by using jump cuts. This is incredibly unsettling for the audience and indicates to us that something terrible is about to happen.





The Final Sequence

As the film draws to a close we go back to the beginning of the film, in a sequence called The Beginning of the End. Again the director manipulates temporal frequency but this time when we see the sequence it makes much more sense to us as we now know who all the characters are, where the action is taking place and many of the questions that we may have asked the first time we saw it have now been answered. Our expectations when we saw the film the first time were probably that there will be a gun battle or that Rocket would be shot – instead Ze simply wants his picture taken to maintain his profile in the favelas – by cheating our expectations the director lulls us into a false sense of security, so that Knockout Ned’s attack on Ze’s gang startles us. We do see a shootout, it’s just not the one we expected, though the relative silence as Rocket takes the photos does create a sense of unease.

The jittery hand held camera style (creating an almost documentary feel) is very noticeable in this sequence, emphasising the brutal reality of the violence that occurs in the favelas – at times it seems as if this is almost a news report. The rapid editing, the tracking shots that seem to be from certain characters points of view and the whip pans all enhance the intensity of the action and create the unsettling feeling that we are there. It also highlights the panic that the characters feel and serves as a further contrast to the images of the favelas we saw in the sixties – emphasising the social breakdown. To further enhance the realism there is an absence of non-diegetic music. Unlike a comparative sequence in Hollywood film, the sound effects of the gun fire are not enhanced or amplified giving the sequence a more natural feel.



Just prior to Knockout Ned’s death the director uses flashbacks to clarify certain important information to the audience. When we see these sequences for the second time we notice things and learn more than we did the first time. By shooting the sequence from a slightly different perspective, we witness the causes of events that were previously unclear. As we see shots of bodies lying in the favela the sound almost entirely disappears apart from the faintest ambient sound. This is incredibly unusual in film and certainly draws attention to itself. This lack of distraction allows the audience to take stock of what they have just witnessed. The director’s message that the police (the agents of the government) are corrupt is emphasised in the sequence as they let Lil’ Ze go free after taking his money, despite the fact that he is the most notorious gangster in the favela. The director’s message is clear- the police and therefore the government are happy to let the gangs kill each other as long as the violence remains in the favelas. Not once is there a suggestion that the authorities wish to do anything to improve the lives of the poorest people in Brazil. The ending of the film does not achieve the sort of conclusion/closure that Hollywood films aim for – in fact the ending probably asks more questions than it delivers answers. Yes, Rocket does manage to escape the favelas, which offer some sort of hope, but the final shot of the young children picking up the guns suggest that these problems will just continue. This is a much bleaker ending than we would ever find in Hollywood.