La haine- Essay Question

How far does the impact of the films you have studied for this topic depend on distinctive uses of film techniques? (35 Marks)

Some people may argue the film techniques used have a large impact on how the film effects the audience, however looking more intimately at other aspects, I think the relationships and body language of the characters as well as the setting and narrative have an equally if not more important contribution to the production. The film I have studied is La Haine 'Hate' (1995). Set in the 1990's in Les Banlieues, based on a younger generation living in a housing estate on the outskirts of Paris. 

Agreeing with the films impact, the film tecniques in this scene bring forward the the context aswell as the text. In the time this foreign film was produced, the equipment was not as high tech as todays society, so for the mirror shot rather than filming his refection and trying to hide the camera, there is no mirror. The mirror is simply a hole in the wall with the original Vince on the other side, as a secondary Vince poses as his body form. To do a shot like this both actors would have to be perfectly in sync with every movement so it looks as realistic as possible. The over the shoulder shot works well as he's re-enacting an argument with himself when usually these film techniques are looking over from one person to another however using it with a mirror creates a sense of intimacy with the audience and with Vince, showing he's comfortable with himself. From the camera techniques that, as an audience, we wouldn't notice, comes the context that we would. Vince is talking to himself in the mirror, re-enacting the famous scene from American film 'taxi driver'. This shows how violence is passed down to younger generations through television and media and anything that could be witnessed on TV could be created in real life. The line was originally said by Bruce Springsteen on stage at a concert whom in the audience sat Robert de Nero 'who decided to make the line his own' using it when improvising the scene in 1976, using that specific scene in La Haine shows the sincerity and innocents of Vince and how easily influenced a young person can be. Altogether I think, with the film techniques included, the scene wouldn't be as audience grabbing without the dialogue, no matter the camera angle the shot is its most effective because of the words he's using, copying violence and showing his vulnerability to society.

fraternity, liberty and equality