La Haine Film Clip Analysis

La Haine Film Clip Analysis 

How far does the impact of the films you have studied

 depend on distinctive uses of film techniques? 

In the film La Haine the use of key cinematic techniques is important in representing the key ideas and beliefs of the characters in the film. 

The film is shot in black and white, this shows the definite message of racial oppression throughout the narrative, and re-enforces the idea that the live in a place with old fashioned views on how ethnic minorities are oppressed in modern day france. also through out the film there is a constant use of slow paced editing this is shown especially in the scene where Vinz and Hubert go to the police station to collect Said, this helps to show their facial expressions as they witness the the damage and distraction in the station. Personally i feel that this scene helps to show the reality of the damage caused by the riots and how it has made a clear divide between the police force and the youth. This is also re-inforced by the use of shallow focus to state the obvious divide between the teenagers and authority. 

Also in this shot we see Hubert in the foreground and the police in the background in a long shot. This highlights a clear conflict emphasising the conflict. 

Furthermore in the Police Station as Said is walking towards the stairs the camera tacks his movements and he is in the centre of the frame showing that he is the main focus, but when he reaches the stairs the Police officer pushes him aside (out of the centre of the frame) this shows his dominance and how the Police are in control. I feel that this is a powerful shot and completely summarises how the ethnic minorities are oppressed and pushed aside throughout the film. 

After the police station scene the camera tracks the three lads as they walk away. the camera is hand held and follows them with one singular shot the slow paced editing, i feel, shows how in the rough French urban estates time goes by very slowly. Furthermore I believe it shows how the characters are united. However as Hubert finds out that Vinz had a gun on him the camera instantly cuts to show him and Vinz as being opposed. This is done through the 180 degree rule, Hubert and Vinz are now not shown in the same shot again in this sequence. However Said is often shown in shots with both characters. This help re-enforce the theme of him being the idea of fraternity as he attempts to keep Vinz and Hubert together. Fraternity is one of the three words in the french motto. This conflict between the characters shows how without proper role models and guidance the characters will resort to what they have learnt from western culture (violent films). This is a key motif to Vinzs character as he is often shown throughout the film quoting violent films and pointing his fingers in a gun shape. This behavior is also show to transfer from him own to a small boy who watches and mimics Vinz in the cinema in Paris.

Clip 5

in car fixed shot 

shallow focus close ups Vinz 

long sustained shots 

slow pace of editing 

tracking shots highlights facial expressions 

shallow focus shows opposition and separation between youth and authority 

continuous shots 

vengeance graffiti  

Siad is in cetre of the shot but is then shoved aside by the police officer highlighting a definite conflict (put in his place) possible racism 

hand held tracking shots as character walk continuous 

Hubert in centre Said is in the centre which enforces the idea that he represents Fraternity 

Division 

180 rule separation two shots 

dysfunctional family 

Film Question

Does the way Stanley Kubrick presents power figures in his films make him an auteur?

Stanley Kubrick is considered to be one of the best directors of the 20th century having made classic films for the majority of his life. He is also widely recognized as being an auteur with his own unique stylistic approach to film making. Those familiar with Kubrick’s work can probably spot how he conveys his own personal opinions and ideologies through certain characters in his movies and the way they are treated by authority. The focus films that I am studying are Full Metal Jacket, A Clockwork Orange and The Shining.

I have chosen these Films to focus on because they are all from different Genres and they all show an idea of a controlling higher power and characters struggling to cope. Which help point out how Kubrick is a auteur. My main focus film is Full Metal Jacket (1987)[1], this is because of the extensive highlighting of corrupt authority figures and the theme of hierarchy.[1] Full metal Jacket shows the protagonist Joker to become more and more of a killer as the story progresses through its three stages, Training, Early Vietnam and The Girl Sniper. 

My supporting films are A Clockwork Orange and The Shining both these films, like my focus film show themes of higher power manipulating the protagonists. In A Clockwork Orange Alex is controlled by the government and in the shining it is a supernatural force controlling Jack and Danny.
In Full Metal Jacket our protagonist is the character Joker. Joker along with several others has his real name replaced with a nick name in the very first scene by the Gunnery Sergeant. This is an example of how Stanley Kubrick represents how the American Military remove the true identity of the marines in the Vietnam war.[8] In a way to control them. The way that the soldiers accept these names also brings into question their personal self worth. In addition to this in the ending scene of the film we can see a group of soldiers walking off into the sunset singing but you cannot see their faces, they are simply silhouettes. [10] This shows the lack of identity amongst the troops, making them look like shadow puppets. I feel that this suggests how the characters in full metal jacket are puppets and under control from a higher power.

In one scene in Full Metal Jacket we can see Joker in a publishers meeting for the military newspaper in Vietnam and he is forced to rewrite the end of his article to include an enemy kill so it sounds 'more heroic'[1]. This is a direct example of how the main character is controlled by a higher power, and how they bend the truth.

In Full Metal Jacket the Gunnery Sergeant is abusive towards the troops and constantly puts them down, causing Pvt Pyle to have a breakdown. This shows the audience Stanley Kubrick's view of how the hierarchy of the military/ government is twisted through how the characters are mistreated. This is a common theme which I feel features in the majority of his films, For example in his earlier work such as Dr Strangelove Kubrick shows the American government in a comedic fashion with the character of "an insane US air force general who orders an unprovoked nuclear attack against Russia"[4] This is a great example of how `Kubrick has incorporated his opinions of the American government into his films.

Also after the release of Dr Strangelove, Kubrick was threatened by the FBI that they would begin an investigation into the set designs of Dr Strangelove because of the accuracy of the war plane’s interior.
In Kubrick’s film The Shining (1980)[3] we are shown how he is told to stay quiet about his ideas of the moon landing [14].

PLAY FAKED MOON LANDING..... source 14

this is another example of how he shows higher power to control his protagonist. Also it shows how he was personally effected by higher power which helps us to understand why he often shows his protagonists to be under the control of a higher authority.

One of my articles (adventures in the screen trade)[7] suggests that there is no such thing as an auteur in the film industry. The article suggests this because it takes a whole team to create a film however I know that from watching Stanley Kubrick a life in picture [13] that Kubrick would always personally oversee everything happening with his films and would often take charge of the camera and would not put anything into his films unless he was 100% happy with it. This use of his own personal influence and ideologies throughout all his films is what makes him an auteur. ‘Stanley Kubrick’s films are cold, soulless, disconnected and indifferent.’[11] Furthermore one of my other research sources helps to reinforce that he is an auteur. [6]

A Clockwork Orange (1971)[2] is ‘Part social satire, part discourse on the nature of free will’ [9]. It follows a young thug called Alex who after he is arrested is offered a treatment by the government which causes him to not cause crime however once he is released he is not able to to defend himself and is beaten and attempts suicide which causes the government to step in once the story gets to the papers, so they don’t do badly in the upcoming election. this is a perfect example of how the government have removed Alex’s free will, also it shows they only really care about Alex when it makes them look bad. This reflects how Kubrick views the government.

‘In terms of the characters Kubrick chose to film, the most predominant type was that of the psychopath. General Ripper (Dr. Strangelove), HAL (2001) Alex (A Clockwork Orange), Jack Torrance (The Shining) were all psychopaths, while Full Metal Jacket was concerned with how society tries to create psychopaths (and values them) in times of war. This is no doubt in part due to Kubrick's seemingly pessimistic view of man and society and how thin the veneer of civility can be.’ [9]

Kubrick is more than willing to change parts of other people work, For example The Shining by Stephen King, to convey his own views and ideas through his films.

Furthermore it Highlights how the soldiers in Full Metal jacket are faceless silhouettes at the end of the film as the walk of singing. [10]

Stanley Kubrick didn't write any of his films he picked books to adapt into films but only ones he thought were interesting.[13]