In La Haine there are several props used, often symbolising key themes running throughout the film. As the film begins, we are introduced to our three protagonists. They are clearly in a slum-like setting and the overall aesthetic of the area gives a depressing and depraved feel to the film: this brings me to the first prop used. Marijuana and alcohol are passed frequently between the three main characters.
These props serve as escapism from the drudgery of the setting they are involuntarily placed in, I believe Mathieu Kassovitz decided to use illicit substance in the film to add extra grit and reality into the picture; they are in poverty, they face violence; drug use is how they escape their situation. Some time passes and the three explore the French wasteland that has been ravaged by rioters the night before. The character Vinz then leads the other two to an abandoned storage facility, to show them something he had found, it is a 9mm revolver pistol that had been lost by a police officer the night before.
I believe that this prop shows the rebellious and violent nature Vinz has throughout the film. He detests the police and the unfair treatment he has received from them, so he covets the weapon as it is his ‘ticket’ to rebel and shoot a policemen. Later in the film he goes on to talk about the weapon, saying ‘if you turn the other cheek then you’re dead’ ultimately preaching to his friends that the weapon is a sign of their manhood and a symbol of their power against the institution.
The Essay on Baz Luhrman Film Study: Red Curtain Cinema
Baz Luhrman was made famous by his three films that come under the title of the ‘Red curtain trilogy’. These three films are Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet, and Moulin Rouge. Red curtain cinema is a term made up by Luhrman. It is about breaking cinematic rules and boundaries. It is a refreshingly new and unique style of movie making that gets the audience to take part and enjoy the ...
Later on, the same weapon is used in a scene in which they rendezvous with an acquaintance. He pretends to play Russian roulette with the gun. I think this scene shows how little regard is shown for life in the film. The use of cars as props is a humorous crutch in the picture. The fact that they are built up to be ‘bad’ and thuggish, and you would take any of them as being car thieves, is then juxtaposed against their ignorance when it comes to light that none of them can drive, I believes this adds a comical element to the film.
