Race in La Haine

1. Race in La Haine Lesson Objectives: You will learn to analyse the importance of race in the film.

2. Black, blanc, beur • This issue has proven controversial. • The portrayal of harmony among the 3 main characters, black, blanc, beur is perhaps unrealistic and doesn’t portray real situation in France. • Is this due to its white director?

3. In the police station. • There is no doubt that the intent was to create an anti-racist film. • Scene in the police station: possession of hashish clearly out of proportion with the gratuitous police brutality. • Kassovitz wanted to portray “how it was with Makome”. • The language in this scene is racist and sexist • Feminised terms of abuse. • The trainee’s reaction underlines the institutional nature of this violence. It duplicates ours.

4. beur • The skin heads target Saïd. • Said says: an arab in a police station does not last 2 hours. • The joke about le Pen: by putting these words in Saïd’s mouth the film articulates not just racism in France, but that Beurs are a special target of it.

5. Religion • Despite the emblems around the heroes’ necks, the film displays no interest in religion. • Vinz’s grandmother makes a reference to his not going to synagogue. • Apart from a few affectionate jokes ( you bogus Beur, you poor jew) race and religion play no part in the heroes’ relationship with each other. • Instead their friendship is repeatedly affirmed.

6. cohesion • Race does not separate them, on the contrary. It unites them. • Choice of the director not to make a film about beurs against the police, or blacks against the police. • More about young people from thecitésagainst the police. • They are bound by their hatred of “the establishment”: police, authority figures, media, bourgeois, shop keeper

7. La police • They’re not all white! • The friendly beur community cop Samir. • Cops in the hospital, in the devastated police station in the cité, there are black and beurmembers. • One of the police men who mistreat Hubert and Saïd in the police station is beur: well known actor ZinedineSoualem. • Vinz’s escape provides showcase for extra brutality in the police station.

8. VINZ – again! • Vinz not in significantly more shots than the other two, but has more close-ups. • Given richer, more rounded characterisation than the others. • The gun makes him more prominent in visual compositions as well as the publicity for the film. • His jewishness does not really feature: he tends to be seen as white.

9. The others! • Although Saïd’s irony and humour bring spectatorial pleasure, less of an assertive presence in the film. • His gaze open and close the film, but he is not granted narrative authority. (but he does survive) • Hubert denied social progress: non-violent approach and desire to escape poverty, come to nothing in the final scene.

10. The final scene • Although it justifies banlieu violence, it unwittingly reinforces racial stereotypes: • Blanc character= victim of police violence (although he is the most violent himself!) • Beur character = impotent witness • Black character = linked to drug trafficking and perpetrator of violence.

11. paradoxes • White characters exemplify racism – but white leading character has privileges. • Worships black culture (looks, music) black hero most dignified – but aligns him with drugs and deliberate violence. • Racism against beurs – but one of the police men is beur and Saïd is the least developed character.

12. The old man in the toilets?!!! • The story is about Siberia which evokes the Holocaust, takes place at the centre of the film and visibly troubles the characters. • Kassovitz’s intention: • “ this scene asks the question of how far you can go with hatred, Nazi hatred”

13. Have a look at this! • le banlieu film existe-il?