SSC Film Studies

How far do the films you have studied for this topic challenge the audience, generating debate about the worlds they represent?

The films I have studied have varying genres and connation sot social issues as La Haine is a social political film and City of God is a Generic Crime film.

La Haine challenges audiences to rethink their romanticised perceptions of Paris and France. The opening montage of the riots during the nineties is a far cry from the usual images we see of France. Police violence and brutality are shown as they attack rioters, the shots being edited to look as if the police are unprovoked in their attacks against the 'peaceful' protestors. The realistic framework manipulates the audience into viewing the film as realistic. This generates the debate of police using extreme force, especially when the police appear more like a military squad with armoured vans and weapons. Also the scene of the police interrogation against Hubert and Said.  It shows how racism is institutionalised into society as the young police officer is being taught torture techniques.

The beach scene in this film can fry up an debate because it is the only scene in the film that is actually outside of the City of God. But this scene plays with the stereotypes of the city this is because even though we have all of this violence in the background the only scene we see out of the City of God is beautiful and this scene is a very happy one. This is trying to show that the Brazilian government are just trying to keep this problem in the background and that they don't want to spoil the image of the country. 

This beach scene is full of wide shots this is to symbolise that out of the Favelas people are actually given a chance. This is done on purpose as the director is trying to compare the life of people in the Favelas and outside of the favela's. Outside of the Favela's it is all blue sun shining showing a happy life but when we get back into the favela's the sudden shock of bleakness hits bringing up the debate why do people live in a happy life and some people live in a cramped life. Also this beach is never touched by the violence which try's to show that the violence is contained into one specific area as the government is trying to hide it compared to other people's ;ives that is what the film tries to do at least.      

In conclusion the films both give alternative interpretations o f the worlds they are set with La Haine depicting a true realty of he racism and oppression the minorities are put through daily and City of God reveals the Columbian drug lords battle and corruption within the favelas