Genre
and narrative are very significant in understanding to the two films I have
decided to focus on. Both the films can be classified under the crime genre but
both have their own conventions that can be applied to the crime genre as well
as other genres. The two films, City of God and La Haine, both follow the genre
of crime in a specific manner, as City of God can be considered as your average
crime film that follows every convention of crime, while La Haine is a much
more serious and realistic film, and could be considered social realist.
City
of God follows many of the typical crime genre conventions. One of these
includes the rivalry of two criminals as a significant plot characteristic.
City of God does this through the characters of Lil’ Ze and Carrot, and its
this rivalry that helps to move the narrative of the film forward and also
helps to end it in a resolution. This rivalry is typical of the crime genre as
its normally a rivalry that moves the narrative forward in most crime films.
This rivalry is majorly significant as it helps to move narrative forward for
all characters, including Rockets as it’s the war between Lil’ Ze and Carrot
that helps him to get his dream job and get out of the favelas, as well as
telling the story of many of the other characters such as Knockout Ned. The
resolution is important too as it gives a clear ending and resolution, with all
three criminals ending up dead or in prison, along with Rocket getting his job.
There
is a difference to this in La Haine. In La Haine, the significant rivalry isn’t
between two criminals but instead between the immigrants of the projects and
the police, who could both be considered criminals during this time in France.
The rivalry between the criminals and the police provide context to the film
and is based on a true rivalry that still happens today in France. Its significant
as the entire narrative is based on this, and it is vital as the only reason
Vinz wants to kill a member of the police is due to an attack on his friend
Abdel, showing the rivalry that will carry on between the two. There is also
the rivalry with the skinheads which is significant in its own way, as it helps
Vinz to realise that what he is doing is wrong and gets him to prove he is a
moral character who can’t kill.
The
two films also follow the crime convention of highlighting the life of a crime
figure or victim. This is shown in La Haine as the three characters are all
victims of crime which has led them to live in poverty and cause crime in order
to survive, while City of God highlights the life of the crime figure Lil’ Ze
while also showing how Rocket is a victim of crime.
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