City of God Analysis

City of God Analysis The films studied for this essay City of God (2002) and Favela Rising (2006) have taken favelas from the marginality of Brazilian society and transported them into the consciousness of the international public. Favelas have become a cultural icon of Rio de Janeiro, as famous as the postcard images of Copacabana beach and the statue of Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado mountain. Since 1992 tourists have been able to sign up for â€Å"favelatourâ€Å" and see first hand the favela of Rocinha via one of the multiple tourism agencies competing for business in what has become one of Rios most popular tours. [1] City of God Fernando Meirelles film City of God (2002) is based on the Brazilian novel of the same name by Paulo Lins (1996). City of God (Cidade de Deus) is the name of the favela where Lins grew up, and the novel is based on a true story taken from interviews and research conducted by Lins in the favela over a period of 8 years regarding the state of drug trafficking and gang warfare. The film has attracted much critical acclaim due to its confrontation of the issues within the favela as well as the gritty realism with which it was shot and unabashed depiction of violence within the favela. The film is narrated by one of two central characters, Rocket, and tells the story of the lives of himself and Lil Ze, children who grew up in the Cidade de Deus in similar circumstances yet who chose separate pathways in life. In the film the character Rocket symbolises hope, as he dreams of becoming a photographer, and this is used as a vehicle within the film to portray imagery of the favela to both the media in Rio de Janeiro within the story, and to the viewer. Lil Ze is a child with the taste for crime that grows up to be the favelas most powerful and notorious drug dealer. The lives of the two are intertwined and ironically Rockets dreams of becoming a photographer are realised through his access to life in the favela and his depiction of the crimes perpetrated by Lil Ze and his gang. The films opening and closing sequence include a 360 degree rotational shot of Rocket in the centre of a face off between the gangsters and the police, unsure of where to turn. This is symbolic of the story of the film in that his life can take one of either direction. The narrative is then broken down into a series of vignettes which tell the story of the favela and the central characters, and ultimately which path Rocket decides to take. I argue that this film was imperative in raising awareness of both the existence of as well as the issues within the favelas in Rio de Janeiro, and was one of the first cultural representations to emerge from Brazil to show the darker side of the city and an alternate reality to what is commonly perceived about Rio, that is postcard images of beaches, sunsets and samba. Via this cultural vehicle I argue that it was possible to begin to conduct businesses in the city such as favela tour and favela party due to interest from foreigners in seeing and experiencing a slice of life in the favelas. Which raises the question: Did this film glorify life in the favelas, or did it depict a realistic perspective of reality? How has consciousness raising of the foreign public since affected the inhabitants of these urban spaces and has this effect been positive or negative? I argue that one of the key strengths of the film is realism. The actors are amateurs recruited from the favelas, and the central character Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues) is from the Cidade de Deus favela itself, which lends authenticity and personal perspective to the characters. The film was shot inside a real favela rather than a film set, taking the viewer directly into the urban space of favela inhabitants. There are several key themes in the film which I will outline below and which raise points of discussion related to the reality of life for favela inhabitants. Alongside the theme of choice, the film raises the questions of what options children who grow up in this environment have for survival. One of the most shocking and criticised features of the film is its portrayal of violence executed by young children in the favela. The characters The Runts are a group of children in the favela aged younger than 8 who view crime and becoming part of a drugs ring the only option for their future. Their youth is emphasised in a scene where they are discussing wanting to take over the most powerful drugs ring in the favela whilst sat in a fenced off cubicle which could be likened to a childrens playpen. This scene culminates in possibly the most memorable and shocking scene in the film, where a child wishing to be initiated into Lil Zes gang is forced to decide between which two children from t he Runts he wants to shoot and kill. We are faced with his indecision coupled with his detachment from the situation he is placed in. One of the children whose life is being decided bursts into tears, and with a close-up shot of his face we are immediately drawn to his extreme fear of the situation he is in, as well as his age, which could not be more than 5 years old. The child character who pulls the trigger. Steak and Frites, is later depicted in the house of the rival gang being questioned as to why he wants to be involved in the gang warfare, and says: â€Å"I smoke, I snort. I have killed and robbed. Im a manâ€Å". At the termination of the film when the Runts have murdered Ze and are discussing how they will take over his business and become the leaders of the favela, their lack of education is highlighted when one of the group asks for the purposes of creating a hit list of those they intend to murder who here knows how to write? and one of them responds a little. Either these children have had no access to education, or more concerned with their survival in the favela consider schooling to be an unnecessary part of life. An important aspect of the manner in which the film is shot, and a characteristic for which the film has received much criticism, is that of detachment. How the viewer feels towards the acts of violence and the characters they are enacted upon is a metaphor for how society in Rio de Janeiro feels towards the favelas- unemotional, detached, separate. That what happens inside the favela is their own business and does not affect those who live outside. The majority of characters in the film are presented in a one dimensional manner and are not depicted displaying emotion. Thus when they are murdered they become another number of the large headcount in the film. Characters are filmed from a distance and the lack of facial close-ups imbues the viewer with this sense of emotional detachment. The one exception to this is portrayal of the gangster Benny, Lil Zes best friend, who decides he wants a life outside of crime and the favela. We view him preventing Ze from shooting those who owe him money, his kindness in letting people out of debts owed to him, his desire to give Rocket a camera to pursue his dreams, and intimate scenes with his girlfriend. When Benny is killed by an addict and thus prevented from leaving the favela we are confronted with the only moment of remorse in the film; this is the only moment where Ze shows emotion, where the camera shots linger at the scene of the death, and where the viewer is in a sense instructed to feel grief for his loss. His death is also paramount in depicting the difficulty of trying to be a good character within or trying to leave the life of the favela. The final key theme of the film I would like to discuss is that of police corruption in Rio, which is clearly depicted in the film as integral to the survival of drug rings and proliferation of access to weapons. At the climax of the film when the two rival druglords Lil Ze and Carrot are captured by police, we witness two important events: Carrot is kept in custody by the police who say he will be a present for the media, whereas Ze is let go and through Rockets camera lens we see that police have been providing him with weapons and drugs in return for money. Favela Rising On August 30th 1993, a group of approximately 30 masked officers from Brazils Policia Militar entered the favela Vigario Geral and using machine guns and hand grenades killed 21 residents, including 8 members of an evangelical Christian family inside their home (NYT 1993). Henceforth known as the Vigario Geral Massacre, this was said to be in revenge for the murder of four policemen at the hands of the Comando Vermelho drug faction several days earlier. Day to day life within favelas is often referred to as wartime in a country officially at peace. Residents are accustomed to daily gun battles and being under the control of the armed drug factions. Police corruption is viewed by many as the prime reason this war is able to take place. As depicted in City of God and Favela Rising, and as told by favela residents under interview, Brazils military police provide the weapons to drug factions, and facilitate the trafficking of drugs in and out of the favelas. A 1993 robbery of an armoured van in Sao Paolo perpetrated by members of Comando Vermelho was found to have been possible using metal piercing bullets from automatic weapons legally available only to the Policia Militar. (NYT 1993). The documentary XXXX shows film footage of police transporting weapons into the favela. Violence within a Political Democracy Brazils military dictatorship ended in 1985 after 20 years of rule, however under the democracy many Brazilians feel less safe. (Caldeira) Since democratic rule, police violence has reached critical levels and events indicate serious degradation of democracy, with high levels of violent crime, police crimes against citizens, and human rights abuses a regular occurrence. Public space in Rio de Janeiro is often characterised by assaults of different types, muggings, and general lawlessness, creating a culture of fear and suspicion (Caldeira). Policies attempting to bring violence under control, such as Operaà §Ãƒ £o Rio in 1994 where military police were sent into the city on a mass scale, are replacing democratic initiatives at state level with assertion of civil order in an episodic manner. Public opinion polls found general support for the operation, with a general attitude that suspected criminals should not be subject to the same human rights conventions as normal citizens (Calde ira). Violence against civilians in favelas should also be considered a failure of democracy to protect their rights. Violence towards favela inhabitants can be seen as the result of a mixture of public attitudes towards criminal activity and middle and upper class attitudes towards favela inhabitants coupled with a police system which effectively serves only the elite. Public attitude plays a large role in the politics of policing and providing assistance (or lack thereof) to favelas. Volunteer worker XXXX in the film Bus 174 spoke of the public opinion polls in relation to the police shooting of 8 street children at Candelaria, where people said the shootings were a positive event, and that â€Å"society needs to be cleaned of this dirtâ€Å". **QUOTE CALDEIRA HOLSTON P699 CRIMINALISATION OF THE POOR*** ***ALSO ALTERNATIVE JUSTICE IN FAVELAS P713*** Development of Brazils Urban Spaces Industrialisation in Brazil began in the early 20th century and has always had significant links with urbanisation, directly influencing the composition and evolvement of the urban network. The primary urban centres of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo received the largest amounts of investment during the course of Brazils economic development, resulting in mass amounts of migration from rural areas. The National Census in the year 2000 (IGBE) documented 82% of Brazils 174 million residents live in cities. Furthermore, 80% of the total population live in 25% of the municipalities, indicating strong spatial concentration. (Xavier). Despite being one of the more important economic centres of Brazil (together with Sao Paolo constituting 20% of Brazils GDP (Acioly) ) the metropolitan region of Rio De Janeiro is marked by discernible social and wealth disparities between inhabitants. The needs of low income families unable to afford rent and living in favelas and cheap land on the periphery of the city mean continuous large volumes of transit of inhabitants between the periphery and the centre, where they have access to employment and services, creating severe socio-spatial stratification at the metropolitan level. In the 1990s, confronted with increasing social tensions and the recession of the entire country, favelas and low rent land became the focus of violence, with drug trafficking establishing a power parallel to official local controls, to the detriment of municipal regulations and law. The residents associations (AMs) which were very active in the 1980s fell under continuous intimidation and fear, and were often physically in the centre of shoot-outs between gangs and police. History of Favelas in Rio The Portuguese founded Rio de Janeiro in 1565 and by the end of the 16th century the hilled regions of the city were already substantially populated. Swamplands surrounding the hills were drained and soon also attracted settlers. Until the late 18th century the primary crop of the economy was sugarcane grown on the peripheries of Rio, which greatly influenced the spatial structure of the city. (Xavier). Following the relocation of the Portuguese Royal family to Rio in 1808 and the naming of Rio as the capital of Brazil, the population increased 25%, 50% of whom were slaves. (Xavier). There was a need for construction of housing for the higher income migrants and Portuguese nobility, with houses built closer to the periphery of the city, shaping the beginning of the patterns of segregation in Rio as rich and poor lived separately and in greatly different standards of housing yet within the same city centre. In 1888 slavery was abolished and freed workers from the coffee plantations migrated in large numbers to Rio. The word favela originated in the first low income residence to be constructed in the city centre, named Morro da Providà ªncia and later â€Å"Morro da Favelaâ€Å" by residents who were primarily ex soldiers and ex-slaves whom were not capable of integration into the citys economy. (Xavier). Government initiatives to modernise Rio led to large low income residential areas including those on hillsides being demolished, displacing predominantly the citys poor and forcing them further to the peripheries to resettle. By definition a favela is a squatter settlement, usually self-built by its inhabitants illegally on land lacking any infrastructure and without any urban plan for its development. The last official estimate for the number of favelas in Rio de Janeiro was 605 (PCRJ, IPP) but unofficial estimates read that 100 more have arisen since then. The typical location of favela construction is hillside areas, though in the 21st century they have increasingly been built in swampy land areas such as near the higher income Barra de Tijuca expansion zone. (Xavier 8) Rios first urban plan was developed in the late 1920s, named Plan Agache, following a segregated functionalist principle to organise the city (Xavier). In this plan the southern beachside areas of Ipanema, Leblon and Gavea were reserved for the upper classes, while the working classes were relegated to the suburbs, and the first plans for total eradication of the favelas were made. This was the first official document to describe favelas as a problem which must be eradicated; they were viewed as an epidemic which was blighting the most expensive land in Rio. As a result of this first urban plan dividing lower, middle and upper classes into distinct sections of the city, the only option left for the poor who did not fit these categories was to move into squatter settlements, either on the city outskirts or in dangerous and therefore undesirable locations such as steep hillsides. Alongside the explosive population growth and industrialisation of the following decades, Rios transport an d housing systems were unable to cope with the rise in migrants to the city, leading to the increasing spread of favelas into the city centre into environmentally fragile areas such as the hillsides separating the upper class suburbs. Living conditions in Rio display exceptionally poor distribution, demonstrated by the discrepancies in living conditions between the rich and the poor. There is a high level of socio-spatial inequality, with income being concentrated in a miniscule proportion of the population; the poorest 50% of Rios population earn only 13% of its income, while 12% of income is earned by the richest 1%. (IPEA). The social inequality prevalent in Rio de Janeiro is not applicable only to the physical make-up of the city but in the social configuration. Those located in the periphery in a physical sense are not only spatially remote; even when located in the centre of the city nest to a high income suburb, the favelas are in contrast with the â€Å"formal cityâ€Å". (Xavier). This inequality resonates in the difficult quotidianity of life for favela residents, who constitute 17% of Rios 5.8 million residents according to the 2000 census (IGBE). Segregation Telles (1995) in his study of the structural sources of socioeconomic segregation in Brazilian metropolitan areas concludes that the extent of urbanisation and predominantly population size is the key to understanding socioeconomic spatial inequalities in Brazil, and explains the majority of variations in segregation between different metropolitan areas. In dividing up income and race groups in Rio de Janeiro based on data from the 1980 census of Brazil it can be clearly seen that there is the smallest proportion of non-white households in the largest income group, and this percentage grows proportionately as the income levels are lowered. Due to issues of race and class being strongly correlated in Brazil, segregation (found to be largest between Rios lower and middle classes) becomes racialised. Thus racial segregation is partially ascertained by the higher numbers of non-whites in poorer socio-economic groups. However in the specific case of Rio, Telles finds class identities to b e stronger than racial identities, and this is explained by Rios particular spatial factors, for example the idiosyncratic mountainous landscape which played a part in the formation of Rios favelas. Bibliography Xavier, Helia Nacif Magalhaes, Fernanda (2003) Urban Slums Report: The Case of Rio de Janeiro Understanding Slums: Case Studies for the Global Report on Human Settlements UN IPEA/PCRJ/PNUD (2000), Relatà ³rio de Desenvolvimento Urbano A distribuià §Ãƒ £o de renda na cidade do Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro, RJ Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro PCRJ, IPP (2000) Anuà ¡rio Estatà ­stico da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro 1998, Instituto Pereira Passos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ Website: http://www.armazemdedados.rio.rj.gov.br News Articles Brooke, James: 21 Shot dead in Rio Slum; Policemen are Suspected New York Times Section A p3 Column 1 August 30 1993 www.favelatour.com.br

First Investments, Inc. Essay

Basic Industries is a diversified multinational corporation with major shares in various electric related markets. There is stock that has been held since the early 1980s and we have been asked to analyze and evaluate the past 10 years of data to either sell or continue holding the shares. We have also been asked to closely compare years 1993-1994 and not include the strike years 1989-1990. Through my analysis, I found that Basic Industries should hold on to the stocks. This can be backed up with several ratios and analysis for it, like the following: Equity turnover is the highest during 1994, following the trend in increase. If this continues then the company will keep producing more and more revenue with the investments. Asset turnover is also the highest in 1994, and also if this continues (which according the trend it should) there will be a bigger increase in the  reflection of the total assets being efficiently used to produce revenues. Lastly the equity multiplier is showing its highest value in year 1994. Reflecting the increase in how efficiently shareholders’ equity is being used to make assets. All the ratios above come from the DuPont formula, the formula that is used to find Return on Equity. So in theory ROE should be at its highest during the year of 1994. This is not the case due to the decrease in net income and profit margin. This decrease can be best explained by the increase in the interest expense ratio, causing the yearly interest expense to be higher and higher. From our net income sheet, we can see that when there are more expenses, there is less net income – ultimately leading to a drop in Equity. Return on Equity will take a hit from this higher interest expense each year. If the company wants to increase ROE again with good quality, they must continue to hold the investments to produce more revenue and ultimately assets as well. However, they must decrease the interest expense rate by either paying off debt or refinancing their short-term and long term debt. These two decisions will surely reflect an increase in ROE again, unless there is another strike or major economy crash. INTRODUCTION We have been asked to solve the assignment given to Fred Aldrich, which is analyzing the data of Basic Industries for the past ten years and making investment recommendations. Basic Industries is a global corporation that holds shares in various electrical related markets. The most recent annual report – 1994, shows a decline in the return on owners’ equity. This has some investors worried and they want him to figure out how the return on equity has been achieved in the past ten years. Fred has been suggested to forget the years 1989-1990 since there were strikes and the data wouldn’t be as comparable to other years. He has also been suggested to focus on the analysis for key financial ratios and direct  comparison between years 1993-1994, the most recent years. We have to focus on the quality of the company’s earning since the investors place an emphasis for it. Our end recommendation should be whether or not we hold on to the stocks because they are generating healthy equity. The first thing to do was calculate some key financial ratios for all eight years to be able to get a grasp on the trends for equity. Second, is to go more in depth analysis between years 1993-1994 to see why there is a drop in equity. After valuation, we should be able to determine whether or not the drop on equity was due to the stock investments or maybe it was due to something else. Lastly, calculating the quality of earnings will be a key factor for deciding whether or not to keep the stocks – but maybe change something else within the company to raise return on equity again. ANALYSIS AND CALCULATIONS Below are all the ratios and percentages used to support the analysis: From the calculations above, we can conclude that Return on Equity has a smooth trend over the eight years. Return on Equity is lower in the year 1994, which is why investors are worried. But this can be explained with some other ratios. The reason why ROE (Return on Equity) is lower in 1994 is because of the operating profit being lower as well, the year 1992 had the highest operating profit margin and then it started slowly dropping. Equity turnover has slowly being increasing throughout the years; this is a good sign. It means that the company has been producing more and more revenue with the investment – in this case all the shares in the various electrical related markets. Another good sign for the investment is the asset turnover ratio increasing throughout the years. This reflects that the assets are being efficiently used in the production of revenues. So far, we can conclude that the company is allocating assets in the right manners to produce the maximum revenues possible, and we know that the investment has also being increasing its turnover ratio. Lastly, the equity multiplier is showing an increase through the years; reflecting how efficient  shareholders’ equity is being used to create assets. So, why is ROE lower in 1994 if the ratios above show otherwise? This is because the interest expense has been increasing year by year; this decreases the quality of earnings since there is more interest being paid for long-term and short-term debt. Even though the company is paying more money, they are getting into more debt and paying high interest rates for such that ultimately reduces net income and therefore reduces ROE. After analyzing the decreasing tax rate, we can say that interest expense and its ratio has also being increasing.

Introducing Response Essay Topics

Introducing Response Essay Topics Understanding how to compose a strong argumentative paper will help you advance your very own argumentative thinking. Doing a written homework often starts with understanding what sort of academic paper you will perform. Adhere to the orders your teacher has given you. Becoming good at writing high-quality response essays means that a person could express their views on any sort of work, regardless of what style it's written in. Writing a reaction paper may be true challenge, but at exactly the same time that it can help you to increase your analytical abilities and share your opinion with the world! Always keep in mind that the success of your research is dependent on it. Advertising ushered in a completely different era. By downloading a sample, you are going to learn how to write reaction paper and prevent common mistakes. If you didn't adhere to step one, you may use the overall guideline a summary ought to be no longer than one-fourth the amount of the original. The survey could have been 10 pages long, with 2 questions specializing in river sports. Thus, your first paragraph ought to be the coming of the topic. You might write a fantastic essay with regard to content, but in case you have grammar mistakes or your answers aren't relating to the questions, say farewell to your good grade. Unlike the summary, it's composed of YOUR opinions in connection with the article being summarized. Writing a response demands an extremely careful preparation. Look back at the report to see whether it is possible to discover the thesis stated explicitly. So, you've got to Restate your Thesis. Literary response paper writing might not have the most fascinating title, but delving into the area of literature could be among the most fascinating academic activities you'll ever do. Everything is easy, enter the critical words for your essay and choose the category and you've got yourself a terrific title. Criminal justice can be challenging and difficult to resolve. What the In-Crowd Won't Tell You About Response Essay Topics Response essay is represented by means of a text that is written as a reaction to some other author's work. Finding the most suitable topic to compose a paper on is one of the most significant phases of the writing process. People today have a tendency to use character for a heuristic cue. If you would like reaction essay aid, you can acquire plenty online and you may even buy reaction essay for a nominal fee. In summary, the last response essay is commendable when it comes to language usage, simplicity and continuity from 1 end to the next. You also ought to plan your writing process the proper way. Most importantly, the paper is reasonable throughout. With the most suitable guidelines about how to compose a reaction paper to a movie, you are ensured of a thriving paper. Response Essay Topics - Dead or Alive? For example, you may begin your paper with a brief summary and add your response in a block. Do not be scared to ask question about the task in case you do not understand what the instructor wishes to see in the paper. Therefore, the response is adequately developed and satisfactorily organized to demonstrate the way the argument is dependent on questionable assumptions. Your response should provide some kind of analysis of what you've read. Writing a reaction paper can be a really challenging endeavor, so many students use examples to find out more about its structure and k ey capabilities. Your selected topic should offer ample data to compose an appropriate research paper. Though the response may start to deal with the assigned task, it provides no development. For example, there is an education system that aids children learn basic concepts in school.

Philosophy Is Not An Impossibility - 1920 Words

Nowadays, philosophy is seen as a simple art where people instantly question everything. People who practice this discipline are perceived as crazy and are not understood by the society. Noticing that this science sub-exist since the former time, it has to have a value as other science that we maybe we did not perceive as first sight. Fortunately, Russell, one of the people who practice this science, enlightens us on the purpose of the philosophy. By extrapolating the philosophy, the comprehension of this science could be grasp by its origin, then its significance and finally its place in the world. Indeed, the philosophy is not an effortless subject to grasp. It could be misunderstood by those unfamiliar to the topic. It is apodictic†¦show more content†¦A love could be more important that the one who love depending to the degree we put in it. However, love mostly has a connotation which leads toward an entirely; this wholly that we can either pursue or be with. But a question to our momentum could be who that wisdom that we could love be. Wisdom might be defined as a knowledge that we use as discernment to know what could be good or bad. A wisdom which come from the adjective wise is also having some experience in one particular subject. We could notice in this simple word wisdom disclose intrinsically a lexical field of knowledge inside or outside its being which is abstract. In addition, love an intangible which is wisdom could not reveal from the physic, the material. This discipline can only target what we can not see which has a relation with the mind. Thus, love of the wisdom commonly known as philosophy which display two abstract notions, one is a strong feeling which push us to significantly bewitch what we love with great interest, the other as a judgment or experience derivative of the knowledge which appeared not strong but discreet and sober. This paradox is what philosophy is: a chase of wisdom, a passion concerning the study of knowledge, a sane thirst of apprenticeship concerning the different experience of life. Knowing its origin could not be necessarily mean grasp what philosophy is.