'A' Grade Exam Responses: Urban Stories

'A' Grade Exam Response

Compare the attitudes to poverty conveyed in the films you have studied for this topic?

When looking at the genre of Urban Stories, it is clear to see that a major theme that runs throughout each film is poverty. The main films I will be looking at will be, Once We’re Warriors, La Haine and City of God. I will be comparing the 3 films with the idea of poverty in mind and how their situation and attitudes are presented. In the majority of the films of this genre, they can come across as having quite an, understandably, pessimistic attitude towards their situation. Take for example, Tamohari’s, Once We’re Warriors. We can see right from the beginning of this film that the attitudes of the characters are very negative. The first time we meet Jake, we discover that he has been ‘laid off’ this immediately suggests a tough financial situation for the family involved. The mise-en-scene of his performance when he eventually admits this to his wife comes across as quite casual, this may also suggest that this is the first time it has happened, and again leading the audience to believe this is a reoccurring situation for the family. This negative attitude is something that is also followed through City of God. However, it is portrayed in a different way. Despite the lack of money available to family through legitimate jobs, from a very young age each character does their very best to begin earning (most commonly through drug sales etc). Right at the beginning of the film, we hear the diegetic sound of a knife being sharpened, this could be suggestive of how the residents of the favelas are constantly living their lives on a knife edge, unsure of what may happen next. This idea, however, is in complete contrast to Urban Story, Chungking Express. This film is far more optimistic of the situation their characters are in, take character Faye for example. Despite the repetition in her life, shown through the repetition of the song she listens to, we often see her singing, this makes her character come across as quite happy. Her curiosity is another suggestion that she is still ‘alive’ when seizing the opportunity to take ‘633’s’ apartment keys. With each visit Faye begins to try and brighten up the apartment, this brighter mise-en-scene again leads towards optimism and making the most of the situation.

When looking at La Haine with this idea of pessimism towards poverty in mind, Kassovitz portrays this somewhat differently to the other films. I feel that each of the 3 main characters has a completely different attitude towards their situation, despite the fact that the narrative joins them together with the same revenge filled plot in mind, each represent a different aspect of it. It could be suggested that they may be culturally represented as Vinz being “liberty” (the most pessimistic), Hubert being “Equality” (the most positive) and Said” being “Fraternity” (each part of the French flag). We can see Said as ‘Fraternity’ as he is often centrally framed between the other 2 characters, attempting to find common ground between conflicting characters, Vinz and Hubert. We meet Hubert in a burnt down gym, which he was trying to create a boxing club with. I feel that this presents him as a more optimistic character as he is trying to make the best of his situation. We also see his mother asking him for money for his younger sisters school textbook, this shows us how is plays a fatherly role in his family, he takes responsibility for things. (A common ground between each character, the lack of a father) This is in complete contrast to Vinz’s character – the most westernised of the 3. This is shown through the mise-en-scene of his bedroom (e.g. poster of Marilyn Monroe and famous wrestlers.) He also quotes a lot of Scorsese, “Are you talking to me?” – Taxi Driver. This is also where his violent/revengeful personality could be suggested to stem from.

I feel that La Haine has the most negative outcome of all the films. A commonality of each of the films is the desperate attempt to flee the area and the poverty the characters are brought up in. The Favelas in City of God, the Project in La Haine and the family home and control of Jake in Once We’re Warriors. La Haine shows just how impossible the French cultural situation is. This is shown through a number of techniques. One of the most striking is the change in camera lenses when the 3 characters leave the Project and head for central Paris. The background becomes blurred suggesting they are completely out of the depth and are not at all comfortable in their new surrounds. Of course, they end up back at the Project. In City of God, however, despite the initial struggle, the character of Rocket manages to get himself away from that life of poverty and uncertainty by taking advantage of his photography skills and his knowledge and familiarity of the Favela. He still shoots but unlike the rest his childhood acquaintances, it’s with a camera and not a gun. This does not however, create a more positive lifestyle for the people of the favelas and their situation is now more publicised through the media. Once We’re Warriors takes a completely different route to this kind of situation. As it is not a place the characters are trying to escape, it is a very dominating lifestyle they are kept in by Husband/Father, Jake. It takes something as serious as Graces (daughter) suicide to set them free.

It would seem to me, that a very negative attitude is generally displayed when it comes to cultural clashes and poverty, in relation to these particular films. I feel this also comes through in media representation of it also. I think if this discussion were to be deepened, this aspect of time would need to be questioned. Is this attitude simply because of the time that is portrayed? I think, with French culture in mind Crack 6T would be a very interesting comparison for La Haine, this films follows a similar structure, 3 young male characters seeking revenge against authority. Also, narrative structure could be looked at? Often being circular narratives. Such as in City of God, we see a scene that appears again towards the end of the films before we begin at the start.