La Haine Flashcards
(38 cards)
1
Q
What is the history of immigration that led to the banlieues?
A
- After WW2 - workers needed - 1960s - especially from ex French colonies
- HLM - made suburbs (les banlieues et les cités)
- Families of workers began to arrive
2
Q
How did things change in more modern history?
A
- Oil crisis - 1970s - factories and industry closed
- End of les trentes glorieuses –> unemployment etc
- Start of social problems in banlieues - migrants blamed - discrimination –> scapegoats
3
Q
What did les banlieues become a symbol of in society?
A
- Social problems - blame
- Due to Le Front National - increase in popularity - extreme right and anti immigration
4
Q
How have negative perceptions of les banlieues caused problems?
A
- Youth feel excluded
- Demonstrations, protests
- Police brutality increased from 1980s
- Police killings of young banlieusards –> Malix Oussekine 1986, Makomé M’Bowlé 1993
5
Q
How was Kassovitz directly pushed by real life to write the film?
A
- Started writing it the day after M’Bowlé’s death - he had been part of the protests
6
Q
How is the film inspired by real events?
A
- Makes reference to the life of M’Bowlé
- Montage at the start - riots and police confrontation - ‘n’oubliez pas que la police tue’
- The events of the film are sparked by Abdel being in hospital due to police brutality
7
Q
What is the character of Saïd?
A
- Immature, impoli, fidèle, marrant
8
Q
What is the role of Saïd?
A
- Middleman - reason the other two are friends
- Humour - jokes, not physically violent
- lack of respect towards women
- Victim of institutionalised racism - hospital, police station
9
Q
What is the importance of Saïd?
A
- Typical banlieusard - sells drugs etc
- Light relief from heavy story
- Denounces racism - acts similarly / less violently than Vinz - police act more aggressively to him
- ‘Main character’ - seen first and last - opens and closes eyes at start and end
10
Q
What is the character of Vinz?
A
- Rebelle, aggresif, violent, impulsif, fidèle
11
Q
What is the role of Vinz?
A
- Lives through an identity he has created - acts as if he wants to kill a policeman - not really
- Fights against his life - thinks violence is the only way
- All talk - lies about driving - doesn’t really want to be violent
12
Q
What is the importance of Vinz?
A
- Stereotypical banlieusard - this is broken over the film - feel sympathy by the end
- Shown as not truly bad / violent - doesn’t kill
- There is no escape - final scene
- Death reflects M’Bowlé’s - denounces the murder
13
Q
What is the character of Hubert?
A
- Familial, protecteur, réfléchi, ambitieux
14
Q
What is the role of Hubert?
A
- Thoughtful - tries to persuade Vinz away from violence - plays on his conscience with the skinhead - knows he wouldn’t kill anyone
- Typical banlieusard - sells drugs - actually to provide for family
- Seems calm but angry underneath
15
Q
What is the importance of Hubert?
A
- Trying to improve the community - hope for future and change
- Realistic - sees they cannot leave without doing something - accepts his life and fights for it
- No escape - forced into violence, left to imagine the conclusion - don’t want him to die but also not to kill anyone
- Hatred wins no matter what
16
Q
What is the role of Nordine?
A
- Saïd’s older brother
- They listen to him to get off the roof
- Authority figure, protective
17
Q
What is the role of Hubert’s family?
A
- Lives with mum and sister
- Provides for them - sells drugs
- Doesn’t want to go to prison like his brother
18
Q
What is the role of Vinz’s family?
A
- Lives with mum, grandma and sister
- Shops for grandma - kind
19
Q
What is the role of Saïd’s family?
A
- Protective of sister when people speak rudely of her
- Listens to older brother
20
Q
How to the policemen behave generally?
A
- Banlieues - quickly violent, waiting for it, easily provoked
- Paris - more polite, don’t run on stereotypes
21
Q
What is the role of Samir?
A
- Policeman from the banlieues
- Wants to help, understands, authority but takes care of them -> role model
22
Q
What is the role of Notre Dame?
A
- Plainclothes officer
- Accidentally kills Vinz
- Systematic brutality and mindless death
23
Q
What is the role of the man in the toilets?
A
- Teaches them that pride can be the death of them
24
Q
What is the role of the skinheads?
A
- Show Vinz that he isn’t inherently violent
- Something he feels he has to be to survive
25
What is the role of the banlieusards?
- Overall - stereotypical actions - shouting, rudeness
- A community - music, dance, friendships
- Share ideas - act the same when the mayor visits and against the journalists
26
What is the importance of the banlieues?
- Kassovitz - understands the banlieusards - had friends
- Wants to humanise them to the audience - to change their reputation in the media --> unemployment, drugs, violence
- Barrier for people as they are looked down on
27
What is the importance of delinquance?
- No respect for authority - mayor, police etc
- Crime - Saïd & Hubert sell drugs - for family and money
- Youth have nothing to do - want to distract themselves - not violent people - just bored and feel ignored or forgotten
28
What is the importance of the police?
- Represent the unbalance of power - cause riots - police brutality in reality inspired the film
- Samir - other side of the police - hope, help
- Notre Dame - brutality - accidental deaths - lack of care for banlieusards - less than human
29
What is the importance of violence?
- Starts and ends with violence - riots, deaths
- Violence corrupts everyone - the only escape
- Hubert = victim of circumstance
- They seem violent - not something they want - feel forced in order to survive
- Circle of violence - police and them
30
What is the importance of the youth?
- Each represents different parts of the youth --> H= hopeful, V= rebel, S= middleman
- Question authority
- Stereotyped - lazy, delinquent, violent - not necessarily the case
- La culture des jeunes - Kassovitz wants to speak to the youth
31
What is the importance of friendship?
- Good friends - Saïd keeps them together - an unusual friendship
- Protect each other - Hubert helps Saïd at the police station
- Friends despite their differences of origin and religion --> have a shared experience of life in the banlieue
32
What is the importance of family?
- All have family - take care of each other
- H - sis, pregnant mother, bro in prison
- V - grandma, mum, sis
- S - parents, sis, bro, protects Saïd
- Kassovitz - shows respect for family - crime is for family
33
What is the importance of culture?
- Music, dance, expression
- Mix of rap and Edith Piaf - double culture of youth
- Shows things other than delinquence - defy stereotypes
34
What is the importance of social exclusion?
- Confrontation - shown in montage at the start
- Stereotyped - by police and journalists - not seen humanely
- Kassovitz - shows the exclusion - no escape or way to be better when already judged
35
What is the importance of the vicious cycle?
- Youth stuck in the circle - can't leave - hate attracts hate
- Starts and ends with violence
- No escape - even Hubert the most calm is forced to use violence
- Kassovitz - showing it is not the youth's fault - its ingrained in society
36
What is notable at the beginning?
- Credits at the start - allows the final scene to be more shocking
- Montage of riots from 1886-1995
- Banlieusards and police which become more and more violent
37
What is notable about the film being in black and white?
- Makes it more dramatic and intense - forced to pay attention to the characters and message
- Not distracted by set or clothing
- More realistic and documentary style
- Not dated - older film - quality remains - suspended in time
- Costed less
38
What is notable about the music and soundtrack?
- Important role in the film
- Hip hop but also included songs like Edith Piaf - duality of youth culture
- No overlayed soundtrack - heard organically with the characters - real noise of their lives
- Scenes uncomfortable in silence - heightens emotion and suspense
- Forced to concentrate on characters and dialogue or even the lack of speech
