"La Haine"

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Year: 1995

Looking at:

1. Performance
2. Mise-en-scene
3. Cinematography
4. Editing
5. Sound

1. Performance:

• right at the beginning the person is angry- we don't know why
• 2 groups: 1 group is calm while the others are trying to make the other's angry by dancing
• looks of determination
• clearly set against each other
• distance between the men and the police shows that they're not meant to get along
• angry characters
• talks to himself
• Vinz's family seem close even though no-one seems happy
• difference in character; one calm while the other never stops talking
• hubert with punchbag- distancing himself from the other men
• the man cooking hot-dogs- he's calm until Saiid steals one and you can see his annoance (he chases him)
• difference btween Saiid and his brother
• closeness of men and policemen shows that there may be further conflict on the way
• wherever they go they take stuff be it hotdogs and use stuff that isn't theirs like using a friend's tv set. They sort of make it their home
• they talk very fast and when they argue they all argue all at once
• later when they're all sat down. This could be their sort of ranking within the group
• the gormless look on Vinz's face- the look of determination
• Vinz NEVER seems to be happy
• not shaking hands show friction within the group and space between both Hubert and Vinz
• pushing Saiid away- another sign of seperation
• DJ prepares himself; his face, his hat, his t-shirt
• Saiid also talks to himself in the mirror
• Saiid's eyes widen when he's anxious
• when the policemen put on his hat- gives him even more authority
• Hubert's does a lot of different things- this sets up her character
• cigarettes add to the environment in which the 3 characters live in
• they openly say what they think about the opposition

2. Mise-en-scene:

• the same setting- graffetti
• the same clothes- signifies their social status and inequality
• the characters all seem to be shifty
• the gun- the main prop- it's the only power they have
• they are outcasts
• anger is their main defence mechanism
• drugs and cigarettes- culture and criminal world that they're caught up in

3. Cinematography:

• the spectator is part of the gang
• near the poster we walk behind the gang
• this is the same in the hospital
• all dark- their background
• lots of close-ups
• the characters are framed by windows, doors and fences
• documentary filming- the news on the tv- the camera not alaways being steady
• wide-shots- shopping mall- emptiness of their lives