La Haine - Les personnages

Hubert - le raisonneur

Black of African origin
Lives with Mother and sister
Only one who wants to leave the banlieue before it is too late ("J'en ai marre, il faut que je parte d'ici")
Calm and collected but sometimes see his aggressive and violent side when necessary
Tries to calm and reason with Vinz many times + disagrees about the gun (si tu etais alle a l'ecole tu saurais que la haine attire la haine".)
Thoughtful, mature and clear-headed
Deals drugs to porvide for family/mother - has been arrested before too ("je me suis arrete a temps")
Role models = sportsmen - Muhammad Ali
Passionate about boxing → uses it as an escape
First introduction = creates space for him and highlights the differences between him and the other two

Vinz - le violent

Jewish and lives with mother, grandmother and sister
Aggressive physically and verbally
Short temper + throws insults quickly
Impolite, vulgar + uncontrollable
Doesn't reflect on actions
Wants to appear as though he is a gangster
Mirror vs Taxi Driver
Wants to go to prison to prove himself
Thinks the gun is going to make him look like a big-man ("Avec un truc comme ca t'es le boss dans la cite")
Arrogant
Brags about exploits
Lives in a make-believe world
False identity: American bad boy with oversized ring, posters in his bedroom, mirror scene.
Dreams and hallucinations: cow, jewish dancing + killing a police officer
Scene with skinhead highlights that he is all talk, he is perceived as archetype of youths of estate - violent, drug-taking, aggressive and with no aims
First shot we see of Vinz is of him dancing in his dream
See him as the complete opposite of the character he tries to portray
Ridicules him and shows him as innocent

Said - le pacifique

Representative of the Beur/Maghreb community + the treatment of them
Many mentions within the film as well:
"un arabe dans un commissariat il ne tient pas plus d'une heure"
"tu veux etre le prochain rebeu a te faire fumer dans un commissariat?
Joker of the group: tells jokes + tries to relax the atmosphere (eg story of Batman and nun)
Brings a lighter side to the story and their lives - comic relief
Middle-man between Hubert and Vinz (toilets)
Has a more lax attitude to issues
Don't find out much about his family → opposite to the other two
Nordine = older brother
Has a sister
Strict family → might be based on reputation (Nordine doesn't want Said getting in trouble/in prison)
First shot: as he opens his eyes we seem him as a human being, not just a banlieusard

le trio

each of the three main characters represents an ethnic minority living on the estate.
An improbable trio?
friendship only created superficially to represent and encapsulate life on a typical estate.
Universal representation allowing all viewers to identify with the film.
Each one has their own identity and culture
But share common traits and can be seen as a unity.
Have to rely on fraternite as they don't have liberte or egalite
Products of the environment, living on the estate and sharing the same problems.
Affected by the same 'representation' + cant help but be labelled as being from the estate.

Darty

Friend of the trio
Owes money to Said
His car (all he ever owned) was burnt down during the riots

Astérix

Nordine, le frere aine de Said

Only appears in the scene on the roof but represents certain key ideas of the film
Only one who has the respect of the other youths during the scene
Recurring theme of authority + respect
Hierarchy within the cite based on age
Acts like a pseudo-parent figure looking out for Said but also disciplining him
Has pride in himself

Samir, le policier

A policeman BUT from the cite (straddles both worlds and encapsulates the two sides)
Helps the trio
Vinz and Hubert in the hospital when they are about to get arrested
Drives Vinz and Hubert to the police station when Said gets arrested
Wants to look out for the banlieusards → one of them
Tries to talk sense into Vinz in the car
Appears like a role model - succeeded in finding a job and earning respect from his peers
One of two positive representations of the police in the film → shown as understanding and helpful
Vinz doesn't respect him though
Doesn't shake his hand
Doesn't listen to him in the car

Abdel

The banlieusard who is injured in the riots but never appears on screen in person
Mentioned in the news reel at the start
In a coma in the hospital which is why the trio end up there
Representation of the gravity of the riots and police 'bavures'
Adds a tragic element to the film, showing how the outcomes of the riots are not insignificant
Shows the real aspects of the film
Congolese (Zaire) kid killed in Paris riots
Ways he's referred to give an impression of realism as well
Knock-on effects on other characters are important → hidden force in the film
Vinz wants to kill a cop because of what happened to Abdel
Hubert encourages Vinz to shoot the skinhead for Abdel ("allez, fais le pour Abdel").
Announcement of his death pushes Vinz' violence the final scenes

Notre-Dame

Plain-clothes officer (wearing a Notre-Dame varsity jacket)
First seen on the roof
Actions and mistakes in the final scene encapsulate what Kassovitz is trying to show: accidental deaths and police 'bavures'

Les journalistes et les habitants de la cite

Journalists show the relationship between the media and the cite
"on n'est pas a thoiry ici"
Other inhabitants show the co-lateral damage of events and social problems in the cites
Darty's car
Some guy's window

Les personnages féminins

Almost non-existent but those who are present are:

Vinz' family:
Sister
Mother
Grandmother

Hubert's family:
Sister
Mother

Said's family:
Sister

Shown being stereotypically "women"

• At home, doing chores (e.g. Hubert's mother sewing and cooking)

• Brotherly love for/protection of sisters

• Vinz and Hubert care about their education

• Kassovitz mentioned in an interview that the women of the cites are always someone's sister → personal and emotional attachments

• Said doesn't seem to respect any women outside of his family

  • Gallery: talks about women as sexual objects + treats them disrespectfully
    Rude and vulgar even though the women show him respect initially