Analysis Violence in City of God Film Directed by Fernando Meirelles
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1 JOURNAL OF ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES, Vol. 4, No.1, February 2021 ANALYSIS VIOLENCE IN CITY OF GOD FILM DIRECTED BY FERNANDO MEIRELLES Marudut Bernadtua Simanjuntak1, Irma Rasita Gloria Barus2, Ira Resmayasari3 Faculty of Humanity-University of Indonesia1 Vocational School, IPB University2,3 Email: [email protected] E-ISSN : 2615-3092 P-ISSN : 2615-3084 Abstract. Fernando Meireles' "City of God" is one of the most highly regarded crime films in the early 2000s. The criminal genre, especially in this film, shows many scenes of violence against children, women, and the community around Rio de Jeneiro. The violent scene continues from the beginning to the end of the film. The purpose of this research is that the writers want to analyze the violence contained in the film City of God, both physical and psychological violence. This research uses the descriptive quantitative content analysis method which aims to study and analyze communication and movie scenes systematically and objectively to the messages seen. The results of this study indicate that the film City of God shows quite massive scenes of physical and psychological violence against fellow gangsters, drug dealers, minors, innocent families, and even harassment in the form of rape against women. The conclusion from the analysis of this research is the need for several elements of society to be involved in studying film, sensitivity to violence, and the need for age restrictions in watching certain films, including the film City of God. Keywords: violence, physical and psychological, film analysis, City of God http://sastra.unifa.ac.id/journal/index.php/jes/index INTRODUCTION The film is a narrative depiction of the actors so that the audience can more human life presented through the roles of the sympathize. These characteristics are what players in various action scenes supported by differentiate one actor from another. The nature visual effects and accompanying music. Movies of the actors is an essential element in film use a combination of language, sound, and literature. These characteristics are transcribed images. Basically, a film is formed from two by the director as the values of interests, desires, elements, namely narrative and cinematic emotions, and moral principles that each actor elements, both of which are closely related. has. Thus, these characteristics can be interpreted According to Pratista (2008), the narrative as manifestations. These manifestations could be element explains aspects or themes of the story, finding completely in cohesion between an actor such as characters, problems, conflicts, location, and his character. The mention of a certain time, and others. Unlike the narrative element, actor's name can directly represent this the cinematic element explains the technical representation. According to Nurgiyantoro aspects of a film's production, including mise-en- (2015), the name of a character can represent a scene, cinematography, editing, and sound. This set of characteristics, habits, and even traits. The film has various characters as actors in the actor presents films as imaginative works that are storyline. The film's cast is shown live and can able to reveal aspects of humanity deeply with be watched by the audience. The film actors subtle presentations. Not only as a means of acted on the screen in front of the audience, entertainment, but film is also a form of literary accompanied by the continuous accompaniment work that depicts aspects of life and character of the film on the white screen. values that educate life and direct the audience The appearance of the actors will about noble characters that are good to follow describe the characteristics of each actor. and bad ones to avoid. According to Rosida (2019), powerful sentences Films often deal with cultural cases in or speech acts can also represent the actions of human life. According to Ratna (2004), caste Analysis Violence in City of God – Marudut Bernadtua S., et al (1-6) 2 works, in this case including films, have the analysis. By analyzing content, a person becomes same object, namely humans and societies where able to analyze and describe communication and humans are cultural beings and social facts. The its forms systematically, objectively and results of recordings and memories of past events quantitatively, so that the messages in the film that are made into films show that literary works can be displayed. Someone can then better are rooted in certain cultures in society. The evaluate and describe trends or meanings in films existence of films makes it possible to position with content analysis (Kriyantono, 2010). them in a socio-cultural document. Films receive Uniquely, violent scenes that occur in a influence from society and are otherwise able to film can increase the audience's interest, because influence society. Judged from its essence, the the scenes are beautiful and can create a film is a combination of moving pictures and sensation of pleasure (Haryatmoko, 2007). words. Films are also a form of mass media that Violence, which has become commonplace and has mass characteristics, namely the existence of entertaining, can reduce sensitivity to violence the film is made so that it can be watched by and does not rule out the possibility of reaching many people (Palapah and Syamsudin, 1986). and affecting everyday life. The audience There are also various sources of topics and becomes increasingly insensitive to characters themes that inspire the making of a film, some who are victims of suffering in the film take inspiration from social conditions (social (Haryatmoko, 2007). One of the films that reality), some take from personal experiences, featured violent scenes was the film "City of and some take inspiration from their own God". "City of God" is a 2002 Brazilian film fantasies. Some films do record the realities that directed by Fernando Meirelles, released in the exist in society and then project them onto the country in 2002 and worldwide in 2003. It is screen (Sobur, 2004). The rapid and massive adapted from the 1997 novel "Cidade de Deus" development of communication technology written by Paulo Lins, but the plot is based on makes films widely consumed by people today, real life. A film depicting organized crime on the regardless of whether they belong to the upper- outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil that took place middle-class or the lower class. The audio and around the 1960s and 1980s. This film genre is a visuals in the film as well as the time limit in the crime genre that involves various aspects of film make this film quite attractive to the public crime and depicts the war of drug dealer Li'l Zé (Bayu & Winastwan, 2004). Therefore, to and his friends. The crime genre itself is a genre strengthen this opinion Sobur (2004) also argues that is slightly different from other genres in that films can be a communication tool capable general, but many are in world films. Criminal of influencing various levels of society, because genre, the crime that worked and didn't work out the strength and ability of films reach many for justice. This genre often includes tragedies social segments so that filmmakers also have the that contain violent scenes of murder scenes and potential to influence viewers. is able to provoke a sense of justice for justice in Films could display various things that a film through dialogue and approach (Kuiper, can allow violent scenes to occur. Basically, 1995). violence can be divided into two, namely As of 2019, Fernando Meirelles has physical violence and psychological (psychic) directed 13 films and 6 television shows. In violence. Physical violence means injuring the addition, he is also often nominated as best human body, and fatalities can lead to murder. director at the Cannes Film Festival, Golden Meanwhile, psychological violence is aimed at Globe Award, an Academy Award. reducing the mental or brain abilities of the (folha.uol.com.br). This film tells the story of a interlocutor (Galtung in Windhu, 1992). This dark life in an isolated slum around Rio de violence can be quickly identified with the naked Janeiro Brazil which is depicted by Lil Ze's life or implied. In other words, there is some as a delinquent who develops into a gangster violence that has implied meaning in it, so it leader. "City of God" has received various needs further analysis to find out whether the awards on an international scale, and received scene is part of violence or not. In addition, not good ratings. The film has received good marks all audiences were able to understand well the from film critics. According to Rotten Tomatoes' message content conveyed by the film (Rivers, rating, "City of God" has a 91% rating based on 2003). Scenes in a film that require more reviews from 162 critics, with an average rating analysis, such as scenes of violence, for example, of 8.33 / 10. At Metacritic, the film holds a score can be analyzed using content or content of 79%. Taken from Empire magazine, this film 3 JOURNAL OF ADVANCED ENGLISH STUDIES, Vol. 4, No.1, February 2021 also ranked third in "50 Films to See Before You tools/weapons, assaulting, and killing. Die", and ranked No. 7 in "The 100 Best Films of Psychological violence can be in the form of World Cinema". Apart from that, the film is also screaming, intimidating, cursing, threatening, ranked No. 6th on The Guardian's list of "25 Best demeaning, controlling, stalking, spying. Action Films". In general, "City of God" tells There are two previous studies that were about the brutality of Lil Ze from childhood to used as references in this study, both studies adulthood in his life as a gangster. This film examined scenes of violence in films with takes place in the slums around Rio de Janeiro quantitative content analysis methods.