How significant are genre and narrative to your understanding of your focus films?

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.