SSC Film Studies

How does the structure of La Haine convey some of the key messages and values of the film

The film La Haine is split up into two halves, the projects and the city. The project is established as the centre of Vinz, Hubert and Sai'd universe, this is done through the camera work, because in every frame, we are trapped by the walls of the projects giving us the sense that there is no escape, and that if Vinz, Hubert and Said live here, it is their world, and they are comfortable. The comfortability of each of the characters in also reinforced by the camera work, as every shot in the projects is fluid, and free moving. There is hardly any edits, and it is all calm. 

Though it is calm and it is their world, we see that the trio are still quite afraid of police, as in one of the scenes in the projects, we a positioned behind a group of officers, and see Vinz, Hubert and Said shy away, and the camera follows them giving us the sense that they are always being watched. 

The scene in the projects with the DJ, gives us an insight into the lives of the French people. He remixes the song "sound of the police" by DJ Killa, with some Beastie Boys, and finishes it off with Edith Piaf's "non je ne regrette rien." This shows the cultural divide, as the people in the projects reject french culture, for American culture with Hip-Hop. 

The train scene is used to split the narrative, and is also used to show the divide between the projects and the City, but more in a Geographical sense, as you need to get a 50 minute train to get to the city. This scene shows that the projects are separated and it maintains segregation. Whilst on the train ride we are focused on Hubert. He is in focus whilst Vinz and Said aren't, this distances Hubert from them to show that Hubert isn't like them, and has different desires, but can't get them. This is reinforced as we see Hubert's P.O.V, of a bilboard saying, "The world is yours," he then begins to look down at the floor in frustration, as he realises the bilboard does not apply to him, and that he can never achieve his desires, as he is cultural and ethnically an outsider in his his own country, and will always be rejected and looked down upon. 

When they are off the train we see a "Vertigo shot." this contains Vinz and Said looking out at the city, and as the camera retracts, the city becomes blurry. This is used to visually separate them from the city, and reflects their positions in society. in this shot we also see Vinz spit on the ground almost immediately  to show that he has no respect for his surroundings, and thus, doesn't belong. In the city, each character faces various forms of discrimination, none more so than Hubert and Said, because they are not white. They ar in the city for a maximum of 6 hours, and they succumb to lots of discrimination and numerous life threatening situations; this reinforces the fact that they don't belong in the City and that the city is dangerous for people like them. The skin head scene portrays the fact that danger is hiding behind every corner, as when Hubert and Said turn round a corner, they run into skin heads and are almost beaten to death before Vinz shows up with a gun. 

After the skin head scene, we return to the projects with the trio. almost immediately they run into police, and Vinz is shot. Throughout the film, Vinz has threatened to shoot a police officer, but never does. he even gets the chance but is too afraid to take the shot, added to the fact that when they were in the city, Vinz was never discriminated against. This shows that even whilst in the city, and through all the turmoil they went through in the city, it was the projects that killed Vinz. Born in the projects, die in the projects.

So in conclusion, the structure represents the key themes that France is a very