'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 for this topic?

'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 for this topic?

The director of a film can control many factors of a film with the stylistic choices made, two good examples of this are 'La Haine' and 'City of God'. La Haine is shot completely in black and white, while this is a huge cosmetic technique it also has meaning, the black and white makes the projects look dark and negative and also shows the different parts of paris that are not usually shown in films in a negative light. The camerawork of the film is similar to that of a documentary, the camera tracks with characters and flows well around in the projects, both these stylistic choices make the film more realistic.

The mise en scene of the characters bedrooms shows off the characters rejection from french culture by showing posters of American heroes and legends, this shows the characters have a surrogate culture.
Another aspect of the film that promotes realism is the linear narrative, the film is set over 16 hours so the film is almost like a day in the life type documentary.

The camerawork not only makes the film look like a documentary, it also shows how the characters feel. In the projects, the camera flows around following the characters and has longer shots with more space showing the characters are comfortable. However, in Paris, the camera is static with lots of close ups and tight framing showing the characters are uncomfortable and unwelcome in their surroundings.

However, City of God is clearly made to entertain while La Haine is to inform. The film is alot more stylised with bright vibrant colours which highlight how nice the city is in the 60s, but then in the 70's the lighting is dark with a cold blue tint, and the 80s