Micro Features Of La Haine

How do the Micro Features of the Police Interrogating Said and Hubert Create Meaning and Audience Response in ‘La Haine’ The scene I am focusing on is a short sequence when Said and Hubert get arrested, consequently missing the last train home and leaving them stranded in Paris for the night. There friend Vince narrowly escaped the police but Said and Hubert are held by two malicious and violent officers showing a trainee officer how to ‘have fun’ with there victims before eventually releasing them. This short sequence is in one small room of the station. Hubert and Said face the camera tide to chairs. The two plain clothes police stand over them turning to the trainee and then verbally abusing the two boys. They show off Hubert and Said proudly to the trainee. The cinematography is very minimal in this sequence, only two shots are used. A shot from over the shoulder of the trainee, watching of the two boys and policemen, and a parallel shot from over the shoulder of Hubert. These are almost like POV angles showing the two sides of society through two opposing individuals. Although the message to the public is that police are keeping the riots under control. However the two experienced police are mixed up with these two stereotypical ‘thugs’ (in the eyes of the law), the fact that both are shown in one shot and the trainee is in a solitary shot of his own suggests that the police force is as bad as the ‘rioting youth’. The trainee’s expression is one of anger and pity, not unconditional loathing for Said and Hubert. On some shots he is even shaking his head slightly, as if to disapprove of the policing methods. The officers play with the two boys, taunting and physically hurting them. One then looks to the trainee and says “It’s a matter of control, we call it method” the trainee looks on with this same vague hidden expression of pity but knowing that he cannot side with the two boys does not show this obviously. It is not however the dialogue that is significant in this sequence although it does help portray the police mentalities. It is more meanings generated by the Mise en Scene and the Editing that really creates an audience response to both the police and the two boys. Hubert and Said have very anxious expressions, they know that the police are just playing with them but are unsure of what fait awaits them. They are close together facing opposite angles with shoulders touching. This is an extremely defensive posture. They are helpless and scared so the police just exploit there weaknesses. The small, enclosed room gives the police one opportunity to completely dominate the youth if only for a short period of time, the trainee present at all times can only observe and not stop any of this cruel ‘method’. The sequence is edited in such a way that there is one shot of Said and Hubert being abused and then a shot of the disapproving trainee. It is very evenly done so there is one shot of each showing the two sides. The pitying reforming side, and the violent unforgiving side. The audience sees how unfair this treatment is and the opinion of the police being as bad as the youth is reinforced, the police are possibly seen as worse. It is significant that the more ruthless member of the trio (Vincent) is not present. If he were the audience may be less inclined to pity the youth as he is more of a trouble maker than Hubert and Said. This categorizing and stereotyping view by the police is further enforced as Said and Hubert are innocent at this point. The police trap them in this small room where they put all ‘criminals’ they catch. There is no option of individuality or

variation in the way the police view the youth. All are trouble making rebels against the law. However in saying this, earlier on the view looking at the police from the three boys point of view, Vince, Said and Hubert is the same. Said is very surprised when a policeman gives him directions and calls him Sir. But at least they give the police a chance. In this scene the police give no exception and throw these two boys into the ‘ruthless criminal’ category before they have a chance to defend themselves. The main theme portrayed to the audience in this scene is that the police are sometimes as bad as the rioting youths, if not worse. But looking form one angle of the trainee there is hope of the police trying to help. Linking back to an earlier scene where Said and Hubert shake the hand of a ‘Pig’ cooperating with him. Vince however refuses, consequently he ends up worst out of all of them.