FM4 – WORLD CINEMAUrban Stories

Thematic Comparison

Themes to Compare

• Context of time and place– Production– Film

• Representation of the city– The city as a character in itself– The influence of the urban environment on the characters

• Representation of Power– Physical / Authority / Power / Gender / Social Class / Money / Family

• Representation of Poverty– Material / Emotional / Education / Opportunity

• Representation of Conflict– Physical / Psychological (of the mind!) / Emotional / Material / Social

& Cultural / Family & relationships

Context of Time & Place

• Production – where and when it was made– As Tears Go By

• 1988, Hong Kong – East meets West / MTV Culture

– L’Haine• 1995, Paris – France – Social unrest & rioting in Beaulieu

– Head On• 2004, Germany / Turkey – European Union & Turkish

Immigration

– Lilja 4-ever• 2002, Estonia / Sweden – high levels of unemployment /

Former Soviet Union

Context of Time & Place• Film’s setting – where and when it is set

– As Tears Go By• Late 1980s Hong Kong • City streets & bars of Kowloon contrasted with Hotels & spaces of

Lantau Island

– L’Haine• 1995 – Paris – set over 24 hours• Action cuts between life on the estates outside the city of Paris and

an afternoon / evening / night in the City

– Head On• 2004 – Hamburg, Germany & Istanbul, Turkey• Begins with life in Hamburg and then grows and develops to show

life in Istanbul

– Lilja 4-ever• 2002 – Estonia & Sweden – cities appear irrelevant• Begins with life in Estonia – bleak & dismal but with hope of escape• develops to life in Sweden, equally bleak & dismal, with no hope of

escape

Representation of the City

• The city as a character in itself– As Tears Go By

• Seedy streets / Mah-jong clubs / dark alleyways / rundown apartments / TV screens / neon lights / night clubs & bars / x rated cinemas

– L’Haine• High rise blocks / enclosed / dark streets / train stations / police

stations / graffiti / gym / art gallery

– Head On• Graffiti / late night bars & night clubs / empty dark streets /

rundown apartment / blocks of flats / dark• Wide open spaces / mostly light

– Lilja 4-ever• Dark, dreary / proliferation of high rise blocks / run down &

decaying / schools / basic grocery shops / pentagon / night clubs

Representation of the City• The influence of the urban environment on the characters

– As Tears Go By• Sense of entrapment by & addiction to the environment• Presents a continual cycle of consequence• Can never fully escape – the city is what they know & where they belong

– L’Haine• Sense of entrapment by their environment but also a sense of community &

belonging• They want to be a part of the ‘beautiful’ environment of the City & enjoy it in

the same way as the middle class but are ‘apart’ from it.• Can never fully escape – tied to their place in terms of social class / ethnic

status & where they ‘belong’ as result.

– Head On• Sense of entrapment & addiction to the environment & the escapism from

reality that it can offer• They are able to escape at the end as they use the urban environment for their

own personal means, rather than it using them

– Lilja 4-ever• Sense of entrapment & despair – they try to escape through leaving or drugs• Decaying environment reflected in the banality of their lives – limited choices or

opportunities in terms of who to live or what to do• Only one means of escape

Representation of PowerPhysical

– As Tears Go By• Gang warfare and violence

– L’Haine• Rioting of youths and physical violence of the police

– Head On• Anger & aggression – physical harm offers a release• Sexual power & use of sex to gain a feeling of power

– Lilja 4-ever• Sexual violence - rape

Authority – As Tears Go By

• Big brothers, Godfathers & police – hierarchies in levels of power through authority

– L’Haine• The police / middle classes

– Head On• Psychiatrist / Law (prison)

– Lilja 4-ever• Teachers / social workers – the power of their authority is ?

Representation of Power• Gender

– As Tears Go By• Men & hierarchy of power between men – the brotherhood• Women seek marriage / love to gain respect

– L’Haine• Male characters represented as important• Women represented as mothers, children or sexual objects – but

isn’t a film about women (or for women?)

– Head On• Male family members appear to hold power• Women actually hold power – Sibel , her mum & cousin are all

powerful in their own way & are able to manipulate the men & different situations to their own advantage – it isn’t without some compromise though

– Lilja 4-ever• Men – they use women sexually for their own gratification –

physically & financially

Representation of power

• Social class– As Tears Go By

• Triad gangs – they are the underclass but there is a strict code of status within the gangs

• Wah has power through his social status in the gang as a ‘big brother’ but Fly lacks power and is intent on working his way up the hierarchy to gain it.

– L’Haine• 3 main characters represent 2nd generation working class, ethnic minorities –

Algerian, Jewish, African• They are shown to be powerless against the police & working class – who are

of superior social status to them

– Head On• More about ethnicity than social status• Cahit’s social status is unclear but he chooses to live & look like he’s part of

the underclass & he doesn’t want the power associated with being middle class

– Lilja 4-ever• Social class is identified by material possessions and who can earn money –

whether it be through sex trafficking or prostitution. People with money or access to it hold power

Representation of Power• Family

– As Tears Go By• The ‘triad’ family is a powerful bond – loyalty of brotherhood

– L’Haine• Bond between the three friends is powerful, the rioting is

sparked by the death of their friend – a brotherhood

– Head On• The traditional Turkish family exert power but Sibel (and

Cahit) feel repressed by this. Sibel’s instinct is to rebel. Cahit is respectful but opposing.

– Lilja 4-ever• Lilya’s Aunt is able to exert power due to ideas about respect

and tradition but Lilya is repressed by this and lacks a voice.

Representation of Power

• Relationships– As Tears Go By

• The most important relationship is that between the ‘brothers’ of the gang members – this is a powerful, if destructive, relationship.

• Nghor is a distraction – she represents a way out for Wah but it isn’t enough for him.

– L’Haine• The key relationships are between the 3 friends and their sense of duty

towards their murdered friend.• This is a powerful relationship and their friendship is what drives their

actions.

– Head On• The love affair between Cahit and Sibel is powerful, destructive and

addictive. The film is centred around their relationship, it’s development and how each character is changed by it.

– Lilja 4-ever• A number of relationships are addressed in the film; mother and

daughter, friendship and romantic relationships – Andrei.• Relationships are shown as fragile.

Representation of Poverty• Material

– As Tears Go By• Material possessions are what drive the brotherhood• Fly has few and is driven by a need to be materially successful.• Wah is successful but has no obvious material wealth.

– L’Haine• Material possessions are used to identify the 3 different characters

& their social status.• They live in a run down estate and there is some sense of material

poverty .

– Head On• There is a sense of material impoverishment with Cahit. His

apartment is a wreck – but this is something he chooses , he prefers to spend his money on drugs and alcohol.

– Lilja 4-ever• Abject material poverty is present throughout the film from the

representation of the environment to where Lilja lives, the clothes she wears, the drugs they take and her most treasured material possession is a picture of the Madonna and child – a clearly spiritual reference.

Representation of poverty• Emotional

– As Tears Go By• Emotionally charged rather than impoverished. All of their actions are linked

to an emotional response in some way.• Their emotion is mostly channelled through violence.

– L’Haine• Emotionally charged rather than impoverished. Their quest for justice for

their friend is centred around emotional , rather than rational action. • Their emotion is channelled through aggression.

– Head On• Cahit is emotionally impoverished. His need for drink, drugs and his sense of

destruction can all be seen to be a reaction to his inability to express his emotional pain.

– Lilja 4-ever• There is little emotion from Lilja’s mother, aunt or friends.• The only emotional reaction we see in the film is Lilja running and screaming

as her mum is leaving and the cutting of her hair when imprisoned.• There is a sense that there is no point to emotional reactions, you just have

to get on with life.

Representation of Poverty• Education

– As Tears Go By• Their education is the street & the hierarchy of the Triads.

– L’Haine• Education doesn’t get them anywhere and therefore isn’t

valued.

– Head On• They appear to be educated and knowledgeable but Sibel

seeks other experiences and Cahit is too depressed to care. We know that he is educated about music though.

– Lilja 4-ever• Lilja leaves education; she isn’t valued by her teachers and

she knows that an education is unlikely to get her a job where she lives.

Representation of Poverty

• Opportunity– As Tears Go By

• Very few opportunities are offered – Nghor offers the opportunity for Wah to escape his Triad life but this is overshadowed by the opportunity for Fly to kill for honour.

– L’Haine• Very few opportunities – Hubert has lost his gym with little

opportunity to rebuild a new one. They are resigned to going back to the estate after their night out in Paris, there’s nothing for them to do at either place.

– Head On• Sibel is denied opportunity to express herself by her family and Cahit

denies himself opportunity to feel alive / have fun. Through meeting they are able to create new opportunities that help each other.

– Lilja 4-ever• Very few opportunities for Lilja in the environment that she lives.

There is mass unemployment and a sense of pessimism. The only opportunity that appears attractive is the opportunity to escape.

Representation of Conflict

• Physical – As Tears Go By

• Conflict & violence between Fly, Wah and other Triad members

– L’Haine• Conflict with the police & the skin heads

– Head On• Conflict between Cahit & man at bar, Marienne, Nico and himself.

– Lilja 4-ever• Sexual violence & Conflict

• Psychological– As Tears Go By

• Wah wants to escape but wants to protect Fly – can’t leave

– L’Haine• Vince wants to kill a policeman for justice but is too scared.

– Head On• Cahit wants to hate the world & die but ends up loving Sibel & wants to live

– Lilja 4-ever• Lilja is desperate to escape from her situation but she wants to be there for

Volodya too. Is she repeating the conflict her mum may have felt?

Representation of Conflict• Emotional

– As Tears Go By• Wah wants to love Nghor but his feelings of loyalty to Fly & his triad life run

deeper.• Fly wants respect from the Triads but this is just a substitute for the love he

wants from his Mother

– L’Haine• Vince wants to avenge his friend’s death but his anger is a reflection of his

anger at his position in society & lack of voice. Hubert recognises this and this is a source of conflict between the two.

– Head On• Sibel wants to lead her own life and encounter new experiences but doesn’t

want to bring shame on her mother or family for fear they will kill her.• Cahit wants to help Sibel but he doesn’t want a relationship, although he

finds himself falling in love with Sibel, she is oblivious to this for a while and this emotional conflict is a source of pain for Cahit.

– Lilja 4-ever• Lilja loves Volodya and values their friendship but emotionally she has

already left Estonia and is desperate to escape to another country no matter what. It isn’t until she goes to Sweden that she realises her mistake and tries to put things right using her imagination.

Representation of conflict• Material

– As Tears Go By• The need for material objects to identify status is a source of

conflict for Fly and leads to his downfall.

– L’Haine• The material object of the gun is a source of conflict throughout

the film – it gives Vince some status but is ultimately used to kill by Hubert.

– Head On• Cahit shuns all material possessions and Sibel just wants

experiences. Neither of them have material conflict – the conflict they experience is physical and emotional.

– Lilja 4-ever• Lilja has few material possessions and the only way she is able to

afford material items is through prostitution. Although this means she is able to buy food, pay her bills and buy Volodya the basketball, it is a source of conflict as she has gone against her morals in prostituting herself for material gain.

Representation of Conflict• Social / Cultural

– As Tears Go By

• They are the underclass and conflict occurs when Fly tires to increase his social status within the brotherhood.

– L’Haine

• Social unrest between the rioters and the police.

• Main characters as working class conflict in their interaction with middle classes in the Gallery sequence.

• Cultural / ethnic status– the racism they feel is reinforced by the sequence where they conflict with the police & the Skinheads.

– Head On

• Cultural conflict is evident – Sibel wants to live a western life but her parents practice Turkish traditions.

• Cahit “threw his Turkish away” but ironically finds peace at the end when he

goes back to his roots.– Lilja 4-ever

• Cultural difference between Estonia & Sweden is irrelevant – each big city is the same and her place as a slave is the same in each.

Representation of Conflict

• Relationships– As Tears Go By

• Wah’s relationship with Fly and Nghor are in conflict.

– L’Haine• Said, Hubert and Vince’s relationship is both supportive and

conflicting at the same time. They are friends but constantly argue and fall out. Said is positioned between Vince and Hubert, and he is the only one who lives at the end.

– Head On• Sibel & Cahit’s relationship is a source of conflict – they are in flux of

wanting each other but not being able to be together at different stages of the film. The film is driven by their desire to be together but it ironically ends with them being apart.

– Lilja 4-ever• Lilja & Volodya’s friendship is in conflict when Lilja begins a

relationship with Andrei. Volodya can see through Andrei’s deception but Lilja’s naivety, need to be loved and desire to escape see this is a direct attempt by Volodya to stop her through jealousy.

Representation of Conflict• Family

– As Tears Go By• Wah’s family is the brother hood and he is in conflict with Big Tony as a

consequence of Fly’s recklessness. • He has little respect for family values, suggested by his relationship with

Nghor.

– L’Haine• Said, Hubert and Vince’s family backgrounds are warm and secure – Vince’s

grandmother jokes, Said argues with his sister and Hubert wants to please his mother. There is little sense of conflict between family in contrast to the social-cultural conflict experienced by the characters.

– Head On• Sibel’s conflict with her family is what drives her – without the conflict (and

fear) with her father and brother, she wouldn’t have asked Cahit to marry her and their relationship would never have happened.

– Lilja 4-ever• Lilja’s conflict with Aunt Anna is key to the plot. Although it is seen by Anna

as disobedience, Lilja feels that Anna is depriving her of what her mother has left her – not only has she lost her mother but also her home. If Aunt Anna hadn’t forced Lilja out of her home, then maybe she wouldn’t have had to turn to prostitution and would never have met Andrei.

Thematic Comparison

• Task...

– Look at the following images for each film. For each image, identify which theme they could be use to illustrate.