1. Themes in La Haine
La Haine deals with various themes relating to citizenship in France - poverty, the treatment
of ethnic minority groups, racism, crime, the relationship between young people and the
police, anti-social behaviour, drugs and the status of women in La Banlieue. I will be
exploring the responses to life in La Banlieue of the 3 main characters and raising questions
about the prospects for change in estates such as the one portrayed in La Haine.
The 3 characters, Hubert, Said and Vinz, portray 3 different responses to life in the Banlieue,
which serve to remind us of the complex issues and difficult choices that people have to make
everyday. For instance, Hubert is a reformed character who is desperate to escape the
Banlieue. However, he deals drugs and buys stolen goods to support his pregnant mother and
sister. We learn also that he has a brother in jail. The choices he makes are rational and force
us to shift our own ideas about morality with regard to La Banlieue. In addition, the burning
down of Hubert's gym by rioters, leaves us with a sense of despair and a society imploding;
it's inhabitants dealing with obstacles from within and without. Hubert's character also
appears to have a sense of impending tragedy and the deeper implications of what life in the
Banlieue signifies. The numerous references to the future belonging to them, creates a sense
of unease in Hubert and in addition, he tells Vinz the proverb about the falling man. This to
me is at the crux of the film's message - you cannot sit by and watch society falling, as it is
bound to end in destruction and disaster, which it does for both Hubert and Vinz, the two
characters who in their own and different ways are trying to enact change.
Hubert's conflict with Vinz portrays two juxtaposing views. Vinz is the angry young man
who, unlike Hubert and Said, participates in the riots and hates the police. He has no respect
for adults or authority figures he encounters, aside from his Granma. We can gain insights
into the psyche of young people from Vinz. He is driven by hate and is reminded here this
will lead him by Hubert - "hate breeds Hate". Vinz is the character who appears to be
susceptible to the anti-social elements around him. He is obsessed with gaining status and
respect in the La Banlieue, which is at the centre of his aims. He has no sense, unlike Hubert,
of the bigger picture and we see how his views and actions are senseless and short
sighted. However, we see, that in one day, Vinz's views are fundamentally altered and that
underneath his anger and apparent aggression he is still shocked by violence, when
confronted by the shooting of the nightclub bouncer. After this episode, we seperate Vinz
from the character who shot the bouncer, whose actions were callous and brutal.
Said represents a third response. He appears to accept life in La Banlieue and is the only
character that seems happy, or anaesthetised. He has no intention of participating in the riots,
but isn't affected by it either and, unlike Hubert, takes no moral standpoint. Even after his
treatment at the hands of the police, Said continues with his banal conversations and
observations. However, like the other characters, he is caught up in poverty, drugs and has no
prospects. Is Said's response the correct one or necessity for survival in La Banlieue. He also
seems to be in the role of witness to the events occuring around him. At one point in the film,
he wants to participate in the conflict with the police on the roof top, but is stopped by his
brother who is an authority figure. In fact, he is the only male role model present within the
families of the three main characters. Is this the reason, we ask, why he does not take part in
the riots or manages to stay out of harm’s way. What does this say about society's
where male role models are in scarce supply. The only other positive role model is the police
officer who is sympathetic to the situation in La Banlieue and shows respect to the teenagers,
trying to help them when he can. However, he also serves to show us the obstacles that

2. decent police officers face when trying to do their job. How do they build good community
relations with people who don't want them?
The portrayal of the police is negative for the most part. However, the young officer at the
hospital tries to be polite to the teenagers and is faced with aggression and irrational
behaviour. This makes it difficult for us to empathise with them, even though they want to
see their friend. They are unwilling to engage in dialogue, or don't have the tools to
communicate constructively. The police in Paris are exposed to be hypocrites. They have an
appearance of respectability, but behind closed doors they treat Hubert and Said badly,
witnessed by another officer who mirrors our contempt and disgust at their appalling
behaviour. We also feel his shame that he does nothing, when the officers leave the room and
Hubert and Said stare accusingly at him.
Even though the 90% of the characters portrayed are men, women and their role forms an
important part of the text, women are not seen outside in the La Banlieue, but are at the centre
of home life. The young men in the film objectify women and are unable to treat them with
respect, as shown in the gallery scene, where the 3 teenagers are unable to hold a
conversation with two women who confront them about their disrespectful attitude.
Finally, the film comments on everyday life in the Banlieue. The landscape is almost barren
and the flats appear to close in on the inhabitants, giving us a sense of oppression and
claustrophobia. This is compounded by our insights into their cramped living conditions. In
addition, we don't see many of the characters going to work, or occupying their time
constructively, apart from Hubert's sister and the 'fence' who views his occupation as
legitimate work. The apparently meaningless conversations cement the general atmosphere of
boredom and it's links to anti-social behaviour and crime. The police's raids are unnecessary
and seem to liken the banlieue to a prison, heightening a sense of 'us' and 'them'. This also
bears out in the scene where the news crew want to interview the teenagers from the van.
Hubert observes that they are not in a zoo, which is how the media we seem to learn, treats
people in La Banlieue. What should the role of the media be then? Not to reinforce
stereotypes clearly, but to search for truth - not everyone in the banlieue can be put into a box
and packaged for the media and the rest of society. Like all of us, they are complex
individuals who try their best to deal with the pressures that life throws at them. Sometimes,
we make good decisions, sometimes we are happy to accept our lives and the situations we
find ourselves in and sometimes we will not accept things the way they are and fight for
change.

3. Themes in La Haine
The film La Haine is set in the aftermath of the 90s Paris riots over the space of a 24 hour
period, and creates a distinctive urban feel through the use of black and white as well as many
of its other film techniques. These techniques are used to make the audience consider the
central themes and help shape our attitude towards them Often these themes are underlying
and are not clearly stated to the audience. This film does not offer a solution to the troubling
themes it represents. It is more concerned with highlight the troubles in French society that
are most often not address in French film.
In many sequences varying depths of field are used to show different things. When the
characters are in their home surroundings most of the shots are in wide depth of field in order
to show that they are at one with their surroundings and feel comfortable. It also serves to
show us a clear view of life in the slums. The conditions are crowded and bleak. However as
soon as they reach Paris there are many more shots using shallow focus to show that they are
out of place and don’t belong there. This is enforced by the use of a zoom reverse dolly shot
in the first shot of the three main characters in Paris, it shows a clear divide between the
cultures of Paris between the city and the surrounding districts as it is a very obvious effect
which is used to disorientate the audience and make them aware of the changes in
surroundings. This use of cinematography clearly highlights the divide in French culture. It
reinforces the notion/theme of ‘us vs them’ that the three characters feel. I originally found it
difficult to imagine that there could be a clear separation between Parisians from the city to
those from the urban areas around, however due to the use of these film techniques it became
clear that it was more than just a small problem in this society. The wide depth of field used
in the characters home area could be said to be used to show the power that they hold over
their own surroundings and that their future will always be set out there contrasting to in the
city where they obviously don’t belong and so cannot see further into the future in the city.
They have no control in the city and are prevented from gaining any so they will never be
able to cross this social divide.
There are a multiple number of instances where handheld camera work is used throughout the
film, not only in the urban area but in the city of Paris. For instance, it is used to track the
three main characters as they walk out of the police station along with the “Notre Dame”
officer. The use of the handheld tracking shot here gives us a sense of realism due to its
technique as well as offering the opportunity for the audience to experience the shot as if they
are there with them; this is reinforced by the use of tracking of the characters. We are made
to side with the characters and feel their discomfort, which further highlights the isolation and
divided nature of French society.
Although the framing of shots is important in any film production, it seems to be of key
importance to Matheiu Kassovltz when directing La Haine. He has used it significantly as a
way of highlighting the underlying themes of the film. For instance throughout the film
whenever there is a gun in the scene, it is shown in the centre of the frame surrounded by
other characters this show just how important the gun is to the characters and how their life
surrounds it and its uses; showing the conflict held by the characters. Conflict is a key theme
in this film. It exist not just between the police (who have guns) but also between characters
(they disagree over the gun and what to do with it,. Vinz also believes that they gun will
allow him to fight back.

4. Conflict is also shown by the constant use of “face off” shots between characters, these are
used between Vinz and Hubert as well as between these characters and the police, although it
shows the conflict between these characters it also shows how even though they disagree with
the government they aren’t fighting the right people because they do not have the right
knowledge and skill set, so they are fighting each other.
Another theme which is highlighted by the use of framing is power, the sense of power each
of the characters holds shifts as the film and its narrative (as little as it may be) develops. This
is due to how each of the characters are framed and shown in the centre of the frame between
the other two at particular points,: at the beginning of the film Vinz is in the centre of the two
other characters showing how he holds the power over the group mainly due to his
confidence and ego, however this shifts soon after when Siad’s brother steps up and confronts
the police. From this point onwards it is Siad out of the three characters who is in the middle.
This could be due to Vinz’s ego having been belittled by Siads brother; however it also shows
another key theme within La Haine “Fraternity”, one of the words from the French motto
“Liberty, Equality, Fraternity”. Siad is shown as the symbol of fraternity (meaning
brotherhood) between the characters. He is the only one of the three main characters who has
an older male influence in his life, and although he seems to resent that in the film the use of
Siad being shown in the middle of the frame, and constantly being the one bringing the two
others back together shows that he has learnt something. It is impressive how subtle use of
these micro elements can influence the audience and have such am impact on the way we
interpret the theme.
As a whole, the varied use of film techniques has a huge impact on how certain people see
the film and its themes however I am uncertain as to whether, someone not studying the film
or with little knowledge of filmic techniques would be able to decipher those in question. It
could be said that the film techniques used creates little impact to a wide audience with a
certain few there to appreciate them. Although if I hold the impression that the majority of
the audience understands the use of these techniques, even if only in these circumstances,
then I do believe that the use of these particular film techniques, as well as others I have not
discussed (including editing and close up shots) add to the impact that the film has on an
audience, as well as myself. The themes explored in this film are very meaning and in some
cases even severe. It could be said that the impact that the film has solely comes from the
exploration of such important themes within the society and these have been effectively
communicated via the micro elements.