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

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

La Haine is split into two halves, the first half of the film is set in the Projects and the second half is set in the center of Paris. The actual structure of the film can be seen as a narrative device, as it helps the audience learn about the trio and see the social and political implications of the film.

The setting of the Projects is where the three characters feel at home and seem most comfortable as they are in the location of the “non-French”. This suggests the Project is simply used to contain the “non-French”. This also highlights the social segregate between the “non-French” from the French citizens as all the “non-French” live in the dim and prison like projects where as the French citizens live in the lightly lit and spacious city.

The Projects can be considered as the center of the trio’s lives as they spend the majority of their lives there and see it as there home.  When the camera is in the Projects the Projects structure is emphasized to make it seem trap like, this is done by each shot being filled by the walls of the Projects creating a sense of claustrophobia and showing how the characters are trapped in the Projects and cannot just pack up and leave. However when the characters are shot in the Projects they seem comfortable, this is done by the use of a static camera and tracking shots to show how the characters are at ease in the projects and belong there.

In contrast when the trio visit the city they react in a different way and are shot in a way that makes them seem uncomfortable and rejected. The trio take the train get to the City, the journey is used as a narrative device to show the division between the City and the Projects. In real time the journey from the Projects to the City would take around 40 minutes. This journey acts as a statement to the audience as it indicates the distance between the Projects and the City geographically.

When they get of the train and arrive in the center the opening shot shows the trio standing against a wall with the City behind them. Hubert is pacing from right to left, in and out of shot, this shows his clear un comfort as he cannot keep still, meanwhile Vince and Saïd lean against a wall and the way they are shot makes them stand out against the City, almost like the City Is repelling them and doesn’t want them to a part of it, which links to the view of the French society as they don’t want any “non-French” people to be a part if French life.

Whilst they are in the City each of the characters has an epiphany as they realize they do not fit in with French society and that French society rejects them as they are not considered as French. Hubert has his epiphany when the train stops at the station at he closes his eyes, he realizes that he doesn’t want to get off the train because when he does he is viewed as an outsider and looked down on in his own country. Different events take place whilst they’re in the City, which highlights how they don’t belong there. The entire time they are there their lives are at risk, whilst they are in the City they are arrested, beaten and almost killed. This reinforces how they do not fit in at all and whilst they are there their lives are at risk, however it isn’t until they get back to the Projects they are killed.

Whilst in the City they are constantly discriminated in different ways; they are discriminated on the class in the Art gallery, they are tortured by the police due to their race and ethnic background and are discriminated against their culture by the Skin heads. The Art gallery scene is the main point where the characters are shown to be the rejects in the City, this is because the upper class French citizens look down on the characters for not being able to accept the upper classes culture showing how the characters are rejected by French society and culture.