INSPIRATION - 'La Haine' Paris Scene

'La Haine' Paris Scene

This iconic scene from 'La Haine' starts with a dolly zoom, where the camera moves back in a tracking fashion whilst simultaneously zooming in. This creates an effect where the subject of the shot stays the same size while the background appears to get larger.

What effect does this have on the viewer?

The body language of the characters appears confident, however the dolly zoom alters the shot and makes it appear more disorientating. This adds an additional dimension to the characters, as the viewer is given the impression that although the men's apparent confidence, they are anxious and tense in their new surroundings.

How can we take inspiration from this in our own piece?

The fact that the camera angles and shots give away hidden information about the characters is something we will try and replicate. Different shots that give connotations of certain emotions add another dimension to the film. 

We could experiment with disorientating camera shots, for example a dolly zoom, shaky angle to convey fear or extreme close up to emphasise emotional expression.

We could also experiment with POV shots to contrast shots from alternative viewpoints to place an emphasis on how a scene looks from the protagonists view as opposed to a passer-by. We could also add sound effects or silence to emphasise the disparity between an external and internal viewpoint.