The first shot of the sharpening knives gives the audience the instant warning of danger which also gives them an idea of the genre. However, the quick cuts builds suspense, and the audience do not know what the knife is being sharpened for. We soon discover that it is preparation for eating as we watch carrots being peeled and chickens getting killed; this shows that it is a non-european country as we usually buy our meat. As well as food prep, we see barefooted people, there is a close up of the feet suggesting a poor country and an unhygienic area in which the chicken is being killed and their food is being made. This montage alone represents the community they live in, likely to be a slum where they are separated from shops and other facilities.
After the sequence of different cuts, the chicken frees itself as it was tied with a piece of string. As soon as it's run into the alleyway, a plate of blood is shown. This portrays the theme of death and murder, we then see the 'murderer', a close up of his face with a low angle shot emphasizes his role in the sequence. He seems to be the boss as after he says: "oh fuck the chicken got away, get it!" the whole gang run after the chicken. During this chicken chase, the camera is held at a low angle very close to the chicken, the audience feels as if they're running with the chicken or even chasing it. We also see the environment in which they live in; it is very run down and is most definately a slum. This gives the audience an idea of a brazilian lifestyle for the characters and the battles they will fight to get their own way. The chicken running could represent an unseen character in the movie who is trying to escape this lifestyle for all the reasons we see in the opening sequence such as the fact everyone owns a gun and carries it with them, which shows the disconnection of law and society. The assumed gang leader tells a man walking past to get the chicken, when he tries and fails, the 'leader' pushes him and holds a gun to his head; this also emphasizes the lack of law enforced rules in this community and these people can threaten others simply because no one can stop them. Everyone besides the members of the gang are seen as chickens in the gang members eyes.
We finally see new characters, who seem to be very innocent and talk about photography. Until the gang run in after the chicken and orders him to capture it. There is a low level of sound as the boy slowly approaches the chicken, but then it's broken when the gang member says "Oh shit, police.", at this point, they all take their guns out. Elaborating on the lack of law, this shows that even though there is, there is still police, but they still have a low status to the gang and they are willing to rebel against them. It seems as if no one is in power. The boy realises he is in the middle of battlefield, the gang have guns pointing towards police behind him, and the police have guns pointing to the gang in front of him. I linked this with 'piggy in the middle', as the use of animals in the opening sequence is very significant. He then says (voieover): "If I run, I die and if I stay, I die". This relates to chicken in the beginning of the sequence as if it stayed, it would have been killed and eaten, but if it ran... which it did... it got chased and risked dying by being shot; the chicken could have been foreshadowing this character. This is the chickens thoughts from a humans POV, where the scenario changes completely. The relaxed attitude of the photographer boy in this situation is intriuging, therefore we see him as a protagonist whereas the gang leader is the antagonist, the contrast here can also include the police, who still do not have as much importance as the other characters.
The use of a chicken in the opening sequence is very different and audience pulling, relating to the genre, we would normally see/expect a car chase, but the fact it is a chicken makes it more interesting and gives an eye opener into the ways of life in their community seeing the chicken as a character or just a victim. The chicken is used as a metaphor in many ways, and almost the complete opposite to what we say in everyday life using a chicken as a cowardly figure whereas in the City Of God, it was rather brave. The chicken has shown the ways of life in Brazil and how the innocent get treated, also the risks that will be taken just to keep your own life.
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