Urban Stories

Discuss how the 'look' of cinematography and editing contributes to the impact of the films you have studied.

Urban Stories address the issues of society at a specific time and place and the films I have studied use its cinematography to portray this.  La Haine has a signifiant scene, regarding urban issues when Vinz, a main character re-enacts a scene from taxi driver. His performance is aggressive and violent as he imitates a character from western culture. It is clear that Vinz is desensitised to violence and he is more engrossed with the concept, as there is a sense of him escaping into another character. This is a reflection on the french projects and how society are comfortable living a life of violence because it occurs nearly every day.  This scene sets up the issue of the impact western culture has on the french culture because the powerful western ideology is starting to dominate the french projects. This is seen by the mise en scene of adidas tracksuit that both Said and Vinz wear and the influence of diegetic rap music that is played from a stereo on the street. I think this rising western culture is challenging the french motto of 'liberty, fraternity and equality' as throughout the sequences, violence and crime continues to rise which contradicts the french values.
One of the main quotes that holds significance in the narrative is "the world only goes around by misunderstanding." This relates to the french philosopher; Charles Baudelaire who was very well known in France at the time. The narrative is framed around this quote and it appears in the sequence of La haine, where there is mise en scene of a sign with the writing "Charles Baudelaire" in the background of the projects. This shows that France had a very philosophical way of life.

In an early scene of 'La Haine' there is diegetic sound of a motorbike riding around, whilst the protagonists - Said and Vinz walk through the french neighbourhood, which then switches to Vinz's performance of recognising who is riding on the motorbike and what model it is. This is an important scene because it instantly identifies the idea of the french 'projects' being a very close knit community, since there is a sense of familiarity in their society. Following that, the diegetic siren in the background is a reminder that for Said and Vinz, the police and corruption is an every day situation. The mise en scene of Said and Vinz's clothing appear to be Adidas and Nike tracksuits and graffiti walls, representing the American culture and dominating western culture, resulting in less of the french culture. It also brings aspects of multicultural society into play which is a recurring aspect in urban stories where there are over 60 cultures in the projects.
The scene where there is mise en scene of the youth being on the roof in daylight shows that they are unemployed youth with nothing better to do, suggesting that the crime rate in the projects would definitely be higher than if they were employed. You see mise en scene of Said's older brother showing that he has a role model to look up to, identifying the theme of morals coming into the narrative and that the absense of a father figure means that Said only has his older brother to look up to. Said is seen as brotherhood, showed by his performance, which is from the french moto identifying his morals, always keeping the peace between Vinz and Hubert. On the roof, the mise en scene shows the boys performance where the camera is at eye level meaning there is equal conflict, face to face, leading to the suggestion of multicultural equality in the french projects and that no one has an unfair advantage. During the conflict on the roof,  the camera recording at the back of the group implies that the youth have a media influence, where everything is documented. This is backed up later on in the film, where there is mise en scene of an active TV in the background. This highlights how the community in the projects are obsessed with the media, as well as Vinz learning american culture by movies and his performance shows how he mimics other idols. This link to the idea that 'the world only goes round by misunderstanding' and that conflict is caused by the westernised culture and the influence of violence originates from that. The shot moves to a mise en scene of a digital clock with diagetic sound of ticking, instantly foreshadowing a coming danger and unease in the narrative because of how a clock shows progression, indicating a sense of urgency. On the other hand, the clock in La Haine could highlight the fact that the youth are doing nothing with their life and it is infact just a recurring motif to symbolise how monotonous life in the french projects is. There is a repeated mise en scene of a media screen in Vinz's home with his back facing it. This shows that Television and American culture is always in the background of his life, perhaps suggesting that it is a form of escapism for the youth. The message behind the media is that society in the french projects are captured in the form of the expected stereotype and that the characters of Vinz, Hubert and Said are not always aggressive but the media picks out those moments to prove that youths are portrayed in a negative light. This then gives a good reason for conflicts to always be happening. Mise en scene of Vinz mimicking his idol from 'taxi driver' shows his performance as aggressive, fitting the stereotype.

City of God directed by fernando Lund has many issues relating to urban stories throughout its sequences. In the opening sequence, there is mise en scene of an extreme close up of a knife being used, with diegetic sound of a blade following. This instantly sets up the argument that living in the favela's is like living on the edge of a knife. The theme of violence is set up from the start, addressing this as one of urban stories issues. The close up of a chicken surrounded by mise en scene of fresh produce in the favela market is significant because during the shot there is an extreme close up of caged chickens. This shot represents the key theme of entrapment. The cages represent society and characters like Rocket and Benny in the favela's being imprisoned in a reality that prevents change or transformation, a recurring theme in urban stories. This inability for change reflects off Lil Dice's character, where he becomes more corrupted as he grows up and remains stuck in a violent ideology. This is shown by the performance of Lil Dice smiling as there is a close up of him shooting women who are tied up in a local hotel. His performance of him laughing shows that he is desensitised to violence and is trapped in a violent ideology that is cyclical in the narrative, further enhancing the entrapment of lives. His upbringing has shown him that the only choice is a life of crime and violence, trapping him in a corrupt society.
This idea of having no choice or free will is highlighted through a later scene with the Runts and Lil Ze tormenting the two boys. There is a mid shot of a runt holding out his hand, whilst the camera cuts to Lil Ze telling him to choose a hand or a foot. Though the runt chooses his hand, the camera pans down and he is shot in the foot. This grotesque and disturbing shot indicates that in the favela's nobody has a choice and they will always be undermined by someone higher up in the power hierarchy. This issue of power and conflict is common in urban stories and it is usually a catalyst to the corruption that unravels in society. Additionlly, this idea of no choices is presented through the performance of Steak and Fries who is told to shoot one of the runts. This concept is very common in City of God, where it is 'Do or Die.' You had to abide by the corruption or get killed yourself. It shows just how easily a society in the favelas could be manipulated.

In Chung King Express, there is mise en scene of a long shot of the midnight express café, with 663 sat down on the floor. The smudge motion shot shows that it Is uncertain of how much time has passed, yet 663 still stays sat in the same place. This indicates that living in Hong Kong  (Chung King Mansion) leaves room for little productivity and alike most urban stories, there is a key theme of lethargy and no prospects. This shot also shows that individuals can’t move on as they always have the same issues and as the world moves on, characters such as 663 are stuck in the past. This is because the place restricts freedom and resolutions, which is often a social issue for individuals in urban stories. When 663 takes the letter, there is a close up of loose change on the counter, suggesting the key motif of changing the way you are. However, the constant smudge motion, shows that 663 cannot move on from his past and so does not open the letter. This inability to move on is one of the main issues for living in Hong Kong, where the city as the protagonist prohibits any change in individuals but also in their ideologies and materialism. The diegetic radio that continuously repeats ‘California dreaming’ throughout the sequences shows this.

In the scene of Faye and 663 walking down the streets in Hong Kong uses hand held camera technique and natural lighting to highlight verisimilitude and a documented style, in order to portray realism. The film, Chung King Express, directed by Wong Kar-Wai had no permit, resulting in people looking into the camera, a contrast to mainstream cinema. The market people recognized Faye as she walked down the street, which not only gave a bigger sense of realism but you can also recognize that Faye is a well known music star. This links to urban stories and how many of the actors on screen were not professionally trained, which added to the verisimilitude.

The mise en scene of a crowded market population highlighted that there are millions of people in Hong Kong but the key theme of loneliness and isolation is addressed. Individuals carry on with their day to day lives and the realism shows that a large population doesn’t mean there won’t be the feeling of isolation. It is a major issue in urban stories and a continuous issue in Chung king Express, resulting in barriers to romantic encounters and positive encounters because of the urban environment hindering change.

This shot also shows just how easy it is for people to rub shoulders with one another and encounter many cultures and social backgrounds. Urban environments address the verisimilitude and documented style that opens up Hong Kong to a variety of social and cultural issues, highlighted in Chung King Express. 

Reflective Analysis

'Against all odds' reflective analysis (1,000 words)

I have produced a screenplay extract to capture the perspective of war struggle and reality of the 1940's. Throughout, I have tried to incorporate aspects of mise en scene to date back to the 1940's setting of Jackson Mississippi. This helped in order to get a raw visual impression on the suburban surroundings and character's in the screenplay. The genre chosen was romantic drama and target audience is aimed at 15+ with an appreciation for tragedy and love. My main influence for this genre and script was the director; Michael Hoffman who is known for hard hitting romantic drama's, such as 'The Best Of Me' which was a box office success. His tragic elements sparked some of my own ideas in order to provoke a response for this particular genre. The characters  follow the conventions of the genre because I wanted to link back to it as much as possible, in order to connect with the audience.

I wanted to base this narrative around the harsh reality of being a war veteran's partner.  Although being female oriented may lose opposite genders interest, it brings a fresh outlook on a drama from a different perspective. I hoped that the audience would accept the characters and the stories they carry, no matter the gender. The plot and personas still have similar conventions, so there should have been a strong appreciation for the genre. Lily the main character is originally seen as a loving fiancé with a baby on the way, with her partners best interests at heart. However, that is just one layer of the complex character that she is. This is similar to the conventions of romance, where the characters are not as they seem. This develops the excitement from my target audience as the drama and romance drives the narrative towards a very optimistic audience.

In the first scene at the 'Mackenna House', my intention was for the audience to see a typical young lady,  living in a suburban area taking care of her wellbeing. This would be the audience's original expectation so I wanted to meet those conditions, in order to have a successful response. The influence from 'The best Of Me' came from Lily being a simple suburban girl, similar to the woman in the film, which inspired the genre further.  Lily has hidden desires that are presented through the relationship with Joe, her fiance's best friend. This is where the drama aspect is exposed and it is where her impure thoughts are brought to the surface. I wanted it to bring out themes of isolation and with that, a forbidden desire. The idea of Jackson Mississippi was inspired by Michael Hoffman too because he used suburban settings, which added to the genre romance of being set in such a beautiful place. I was able to portray the setting with descriptions of the burnt orange leaves that had fallen all over the place. My intention was to paint a picture with the script, in order to visualise a serene location. The romantic setting hopefully would tug at the audience's emotion and response, immersing them into it completely.  I think this was effective because from a directors point of view, the vivid description would help them use the best cinematography styles, to portray a romantic location and therefore match the genre.

The focus in the second scene of Joe's hands, I think was very effective and crucial to the narrative. Concentrating on his calloused hands and cuts gives room for an audience to use their imagination and put them in the characters shoes. I did it to show the lasting wounds that war has had on Joe and that he can't shake off the events that have shaped his life. This adds dimension and complexity to his character, which provokes empathy from the audience, as they try to imagine what he went through. His hands were to represent his actions while he was in the military. Focusing on this one feature, would cause a mystery to an audience, captivating their attention and contributing to the dramatics of the genre.

Throughout the progression, I wanted to drop subtle hints about their characters by using proximity and gestures in order to paint a clearer picture. In scene 2, when Lily hears the tragic news of her fiancé's passing, I used description such as "reaches his hand out to gently touch hers." I did this to exaggerate the proximity between Joe and Lily, exposing their hidden desires for each other. This would effect the audience who respond to romance and would be able to make links to the existing romantic drama films. It was unacceptable to have a desire for another man than your own in the 1940's so I wanted to challenge this issue. I wanted to highlight a sense of foreboding for the audience, preparing themselves for a complicated love story. I wanted to show that, being a female military partner can be a lonely and isolated setting and the fact that Lily's desires were not being fulfilled meant that she would seek else where to attain them. This brought up the idea of forbidden love, which then kept a central focus of the narrative. Again, this had plot links to 'The Best Of Me' where 'Amanda' had a secret affair. This narrative then built up the romantic drama genre successfully, without losing sight of the tragedy. The tragedy element in the script also originated from the characters in that film losing each other to add to the drama sub-genre.

My key intention was to capture the time period within the narrative. It was really important to me to set this in 1940's just after world war II because a military drama would have been much more hard hitting when it was set in the time of the biggest war to date and would have targeted the audience effectively. The tragedy used in this, held a huge influence from the sad truth of the number of deaths of soldiers. Most stories didn't even make it to the tabloids so having a narrative based around the aftermath of an effected life meant that I could bring what happens behind the scenes to the headlines. The 1940's setting meant that the mise-en-scene had to be very accurate to the time period. I had to research cars used in those days and suburban areas in order to match the year effectively. In scene 2 at the Mackenna house, the description is of a 'D14 Sedan' a classic military car in the 1940's. In scene 3, in the taxi cab, I made sure not to use a car as transport as that would have been very rare in that time period. Matching the props to the 1940's was an extremely important aspect of the script. These considerations were all done in mind of convincing the audience.

In conclusion, it met the conditions of the time period, it showed the relationship between characters which enhanced the genre and would evoke an emotional response from the audience. It also held similarities to the influential director Michael Hoffman, he was able to incorporate sub genre's into one narrative, creating one masterpiece. Throughout the script, I kept the location in Jackson Mississippi mainly to highlight the fact Lily is trapped in this life, with all the complexities that follow. Perhaps the audience would too feel trapped and captivated if the location did not change. The audience would be kept in an empathetic state for the duration.

If I were to adapt this extract, I would perhaps add in a few more significant characters who held links to the narrative, in order to create a detailed scene. I would also use more scene changes to set up the location of Jackson, giving the audience a better perception of what it was like to live there.

Creative project: Aims and Context

Genre: Romantic Drama
form: Screenplay
Extract from the movie
Target Audience: Mainstream, female orientated but male appreciation.

Context: Lily is given the news of her fiancé's Nathaniel's passing who worked as a marine over sea's who failed to make it back to the US. Her loss and breakdown causes her to become isolated within her own life and a pessimist to what life has to offer. The movie cuts to '3 years later' where she is struggling with the same issues and cannot move on. Events cause her to dwell and fixate on her past traumatic experiences. She cannot forget what they once had, so she won't open up to new relationships and she struggles to find closure, effecting all those around her.