Exam Question

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

In the film La Haine poverty is shown in a variety of different way, such as the scene in where Vinz, Said and Hubert arrive in Paris to visit a friend of Said's. As soon as they walk into the building, there is a medium tracking shot of Said as he takes his hat off, this shows his respect towards the upperclass and shows how he is out of his element as back in the projects he would leave his hat on. A pan right is also used to show Said looking around the building looking out of place and dazed. This shows their attitude towards poverty as they seem out of their element in the mise en scene of this house. A low angle shot of Hubert, Vinz and Said is also shown with Said in the front as he is the leader, bringing vinz and hubert together, this makes Said the fraternity. 

As Hubert, Vinz and Said approach the door to try and get in, they are immediately locked out, this shows the upperclass keeping out poverty and protecting themselves from it as the mise en scene shows a security system in which people need to be allowed in. There is then a medium two shot of Hubert and Said as they look through the glass door, this shows how they have been locked out of the upperclass, as the doors may symbolise bars which is keeping them out. There is then a zoom in on the security system, this shows the attitudes the upperclass have to poverty as they are being cautious and protected. 

There is then a switch, to which we are looking down on Said and Hubert through the intercom, which shows a close up of Said's face as he is looking directly at the camera. This allows the audience to look at poverty through the view of the upperclass as a high angle is used, making Said and Hubert look powerless as the women won't let them into the building because of what they look like and the scene they are making because she hung up on them. 

A medium long shot of Hubert, Said and Vinz looking through the glass towards the women is used to show the separation between the two different classes, the mise en scene of the door may resemble the barrier between them. This shows how poverty is not allowed in certain areas because of their circumstances.



In the film City Of God poverty is shown through the use of mise en scene, camera shots and iconography. In the scene where Shaggy, Clipper and Goose break into a hotel to steal all the jewellery, this just shows how desperate they are for money as they are surrounded by poverty in the favelas.  We see a medium long shot of a gun which  automatically tells the audience what they are going to do as the iconography of a gun symbolises danger and death. The hand-held camera also makes this scene feel more real, making the audience feel apart of the action. The medium long shot of the three guys standing around with the little boy, shows how poverty is a vicious circle as the little boy is watching the three older lads steal for money, setting an example of how in the favelas you need to steal in order to have money. The dialogue from shaggy to lil z saying " You'll get your chance one day" shows how lil z will grow up to steal and do the wrong thing, as he doesn't have a choice, because in the favelas in order to escape poverty, you need to do wrong.

The point of view shot of the hotel is in shallow focus, with a red light flashing, this shows the security of the hotel but because they are desperate they are still going ahead with their plan. The shallow focus could also mean this plan has not been though through as further on in the scene people die. There is then a close up of lil z's face as he's told he can not go into the hotel, this reaction shot shows his disappointment, this connotes how poverty has already affected young kids from such a young age.