Sound: City of God and Pan's Labyrinth

Enhanced or amplified sound effects are used frequently to hint at the chaos, unpredictability and violence of the favelas - immersing the audience into the environment (the sharpening of the knife in the opening scene - shown in extreme close up - is a good example of this pleonastic sound)

Narator/voiceover
The use of the first person narrator places us in a particular position in regard to what we might describe as the narrative “truth” of the film. The use of various cinematic devices that insert us into the text and privilege our understanding – point of view, shot-reverse-shot, eye line match – are sometimes undercut by the voice over that contradicts that position.

Music

Diegetic music documents the era. Bené dancing to James Brown’s Sex Machine emphasises his new found persona. Kung Fu Fighting, a song about controlled power played at Bené’s farewell party, is an ironic counterpoint to the real violence that erupts there.

The music then often acts in a similar way to Rocket’s commentary, as a seductive counterpoint to the violent images. In many films the music underscores the mood of the drama played out on the screen. A tense, violent or emotional moment will be signalled and echoed by the sounds we hear. The music that accompanies the end credits of City of God is what Brazilians call saudade, (happy/ sad) leaving the audience with a feeling of nostalgia. This can be said to work against the carnage and deprivation we have been witnessing and neutralise the impact of the film.