The stylistic choices made by filmmakers define not just the look but also the meaning of a film. How far is this true of the films you have studied?

The stylistic choices in both La Haine and City of God convey a certain amount of information to the audience. Take both opening scenes. La Haine's first scene of news footage set the audience up for a film that looks like a documentary, and also prepares us for the fiction to come. This creates a mix of reality and fiction, something the director was aiming for as the audience already see La Haine as realistic as possible. 

A stylistic choice also has been made as the film is set in black and white. Some may argue that this takes a step back from realism, but stylistically the film shows why the decision was made. The scene were Vinz is in the BMW with his friends constructs a mood of urban life, edginess and expectancy. This has been created via the film's black and white 'noir' elements. In another way La Haine's stylistic choices retain realism as newsreels and archive footage feature, along with the film clear social angle also being presented.

City of God's stylistic choices not only in the first scene but throughout are quite different to that of La Haine's. The film's high key lighting connotes a light that does not reflect the activities and life that takes place in the favelas. At the same time the film makes up for that by showing multiple acts of crime and violence throughout that Rio de Janeiro's favelas are known for. The film's tone I think is the biggest stylistic choice filmmakers have made with this, to show three different eras via micro elements and iconography. At first the city is bathed in golden light and occupied by low level criminals. The setting is wide open, and the housing is mostly on one level. This is the 1960's era in the City of God. The seventies is shown firstly by an icon of the location, one of Rio's golden beaches. The lighting is purposefully high key to show the glamour of the setting. 

As the film progresses the tone of lighting becomes darker, reflecting the increased tensions within the city of the rise of violent crime and murder. This is especially true of the last era shown, the 1980's.