REPRESENTATION OF GENDER IN CITY OF GOD

HOW IS GENDER (MEN AND WOMEN) REPRESENTED?

One of the most profound messages the audience may take is how the stereotypical depiction of men and woman may have changed in developed countries but has remained the same in non developed countries. Men are strong and violent whereas women are weak but this is a representation that Brazilians it is not a Western view. Men are associated with the drug trade and crime but not with women as all they focus on is gaining power and having a woman present could show a sign of weakness to their gang. Women are seen as being used as sexual predators like is shown with Rocket and the Woman reporter. There is a clear imbalance between the genders which shows how undeveloped the favelas are.

WHAT WOULD BE GOOD SCENES TO TALKING IN RELATION TO THE REPRESENTATION OF

GENDER? WHY?

The first scene that is good when talking in relation to the representation of gender would be when Shaggy dies as he tries to escape with his girlfriend but is shot and killed by the police. This shows that women are seen as a negative influence on the men as they lead to death as this happens twice in the film with Bennie being killed when he tries to escape with his girlfriend Angelica.

When violence is happening throughout the film we only see men involved as this is what they are associated with. Scenes in which drugs are involved we always see men, as women are not associated with this as this is seen as a strong powerful trade where only men can survive.

The rape scene is where men are shown that they take their aggression and violence out on women as they see them as objects not a human being which is due to the lack of education and being an undeveloped country.

WHAT MIGHT BE CHALLENGING ABOUT THE REPRESENTATION OF GENDER?

The reporter is a woman and has challenged the representation of gender as she is seen as being the strongest female in the film. She is shown to have a good well paying job and is an influential person to Rocket through photography which helps to give him a lifeline for escaping the city of god. The audience would see that very few women are seen to have authority in the film but when they do they start to have a positive influence on people.

Bernice, shaggys girlfriend is seen to have power over shaggy as she has fallen pregnant with his baby and persuades him to leave his life in the city of god to spend it with her. The outcome of this change in power is bad and seems to suggest that the power belongs with male characters as it results in Shaggys death.

Both woman in the film, Bernice and Angelica, have power over their boyfriends but ends up resulting in the death of shaggy and Bennie which shows the shift in power has a negative impact.

WHAT MESSAGES MIGHT THE AUDIENCE TAKE FROM THIS FILM ABOUT GENDER?

• One of the messages that the audience may take from this film is the stereotypical depiction of men and women may have changed in developed countries, but has remained the same in undeveloped countries. This raises questions as they may think that these stereotypes of men being dominant and women being weak to have changed due to modern day living but this is not the case. This could be due to lack of education and knowledge that men possess in the country and is portrayed through the film.

• It is important that non developed countries have produced films like this with real life actors that have been living in the city of god to help show a realist approach to the film overall making the audience realise that this is happening and nothing is being done about it due to corruption and the under development of the country.