An Introduction to Film

380 CHAPTER 8EDITING

and Li’l Zé (Leandro Firmino da Hora), a drug lord
who has murdered Rocket’s brother and for whom
violence is an everyday thing. The tension between
the two young men—exacerbated by Rocket’s
desire to free himself from the drugs, gangs, and
violence and pursue a career as a photographer—
establishes one of the existential challenges faced
by all the young people in this movie.
This brief section exemplifies several of the
movie’s major themes: the violence and lawlessness
of the city, the struggle to escape it, and the hopeless-
ness that plagues most of the people who live there.
That so much should be established in a sequence
that runs underneath the credits is both a familiar
cinematic convention and a reminder to watch every
movie carefully from the moment it begins.
“Chasing the Chicken” is comprised of two
parts. For the purposes of discussion, we’ll call the

first “The Preparation” (1 minute, 9 seconds),

because it focuses on the various activities of

preparing a chicken stew, including slaughtering

several chickens. We’ll call the second part “The

Chase” (2 minutes, 8 seconds), because one of the

chickens escapes its apparent fate and provokes a

wild chase through the neighborhood. The imagery

of the chickens is an allegory for the film’s attitude

toward human captivity and hope for escape.

Rocket believes that murder is the fate of anyone

who tries to escape this living hell in this city. Yet

thischicken—whom the camera and the editing

quickly make into a “character” with whom we

empathize—actually escapes! Let’s look more closely

at these two parts of the opening sequence to see

how the editing, in particular, helps to tell the story.

Part 1, “The Preparation,” is a montage com-

posed of hundreds of repeated shots—primarily

Shot Description Length Type of

(sec.) Shot*

32 As in shot 19, within a circular mask, the bodyguard, enjoying the play, 1.5 MS

with Booth leaving that box, right behind the bodyguard.

33 Booth comes through the door at the end of the passage outside 14 MS

Lincoln’s box. He stoops to look through the keyhole into Lincoln’s box.

He pulls out a revolver and braces himself for the deed.

34 Booth cocks the revolver. 3 CU

35 Shot 33 continued. Booth comes up to the door, has momentary 8 MS

difficulty in opening it, then steps into Lincoln’s box.

36 As in shot 28, close view of Lincoln’s box. Booth appears behind Lincoln. 5 MS

37 As in shot 14, the stage. The actors are performing. 4 MLS

38 As in shot 36; Booth shoots Lincoln in the back. Lincoln collapses. 5 MS

Booth climbs onto the side of the box and jumps over onto the stage.

39 Booth on the stage. He throws up his arms and shouts. 3 LS

INTERTITLE:“Sic Semper Tyrannis!”(“thus always to tyrants”—motto of the State of Virginia)

Note: John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Lincoln on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, was an actor who won

wide acclaim for his Shakespearean roles. He was also an ardent Confederate sympathizer who hated the president.

After he shot Lincoln and jumped to the stage, fracturing his leg in the process, he shouted, “Sic Semper Tyrannis!”—

adding, as Griffith does not, “The South is avenged.”

Source: Chart prepared by Emanuel Leonard and Gustavo Mercado, revised from material in Karel Reisz and Gavin Mil-

lar, The Technique of Film Editing, 2nd ed. (London: Focal Press, 1968), pp. 20–22.