Techniques Flashcards
What is the term for the stand-off at the end of the film between Vinz and Notre Dame?
a ‘Mexican stand-off’ (impasse mexicaine)
Dolly zoom
travelling contrarié, travelling compensé, trans-trav, contra-zoom
What did Kassovitz argue about the structure of the film?
At the time of the film’s release K stated that the film is ‘unstructured’ (non structuré) a series of disconnected scenes where ‘nothing happens’ (rien ne s’y passe). He claimed that ‘each scenes constitutes a short film in itself’. (Chaque scène constitue un court métrage). (L’express, 11 mai 1995)
What does Vincendeau argue about the structure of the film, contrary to Kassovitz?
Although at first viewing the film does seem to depict the fragmented, random lives of the trio, closer analysis suggests that the film is in fact a ‘minutely structured and classically coherent film.’ (Un film structuré minutieusement et cohérent classiquement )
Dichotomy
Dichotomie (a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposed or entirely different.) i.e les banlieues et Paris
What have critics argued about the use of both the banlieues and Paris in the film?
Many writers have seen this dichotomy between the daytime banlieue and the night-time Paris as symbolic.
Martine Beugnet has argued that this duality makes the film an ‘allegory (allégorie) of the fracture sociale’.
How does the televised documentary violence add to cyclic nature of the film?
This televised violence alludes to the real-life banlieue violence as well as the fictional violence that concludes the film the next morning, therefore looping the plot back to the beginning. Perhaps Vinz’s death will create further rioting, and the viscous circle will continue.
‘There is no plot, it’s like a diary or news report’ (Kassovitz)
Il n’y a pas une intrigue, c’est comme une entrée du journal ou un reportage d’actualité
improvised
improvisé
ticking
le tic-tac
countdown
le compte à rebours
randomness
caractère aléatoire (m)
entropie (f)
urgency
urgence (f)
we see the digits move
on voit les chiffres bougent
latent aggression
l’aggression latente
What film do the trio discuss the gun in terms of?
Mel Gibson’s Lethal Weapon
candid camera
Caméra cachée
‘I knew the ending before I knew the storyline. Everything is about the end, the last five seconds’
J’ai su la fin avant que j’aie su l’intrigue. Tout dans ce film, il s’agit de la fin, les cinq derniers seconds
(Kassovitz)
‘The film is not about its ending. It is not about the landing, but about the fall’
‘Dans ce film, il ne s’agit pas de la fin. Il ne s’agit pas de l’atterrissage, mais il s’agit de la chute’
Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun-Times, 1996
Describe the opening of the film
–begins with a grainy image of a young man from the back, outnumbered, facing a line of police shouting ‘You are nothing but assassins. It is easy for you, you have weapons. We only have stones’. His looks as accent show he is a banlieursard.
–then we hear a man’s voice (Hubert) telling the story of a man falling from a 50-floor building, whilst we see a globe. A hand-made bomb is thrown at it and it bursts into flames.
–next we see a montage of images of riots and protests. On the soundtrack we can hear Bob Marley’s ‘Burnin’ and Lootin’.
grainy
granuleux, granuleuse
weapon
arme
riot
émeute
