Superiorit

y

Superiorit

y

Authority

Authority

ControlControl

DisputeDispute

ForceForceClash

Clash

Riva

lry

Riva

lry

Confrontation

Confrontation

Dominant

Dominant

PennilessPenniless

Underprivileged

UnderprivilegedDeprivedDeprived

Social exclusion

Social exclusionGre

atGre

atBreadlineBreadline

StruggleStruggle

As Tears Go By – Wong Kar-WaiSequence chosen/time code: 33 minutes and 04 seconds – 38 minutes and 50 seconds

Wah discovers that fly is in debt to Tony and visits the enemy’s turf in order to settle the dispute.

Power: Wah and Tony are both big brothers in the Triad gangs. Both characters are seated in the shot and address each other equally. However, the body language and facial expressions suggest that they have very little respect for each other. The silver prop indicates a sense of division between Wah and Tony.

Poverty: Fly borrows the money from Tony, a dangerous move as Tony is the big brother of a rival Triad group, but is incapable of paying him back.

Conflict: Unable to resolve the issue, Wah takes Tony’s boss hostage and threatens the gang whilst ordering Fly to rob the till, adding to the controversy and tension.

La Haine – Mathieu KassovitzSequence chosen/time code: 25 minutes and 55 seconds – 32 minutes and 07 seconds

Vinz finds the missing police gun and is confronted by Hubert who warns him about the consequences of killing a policeman. The three friends attempt to visit Abdel in hospital

but are denied access. This angers Saïd who is then arrested.

Power: Vinz feels overwhelmed with power now that he possesses the missing gun. He believes that this is a sign for him to avenge Abdel (if he dies) by killing a cop.

Poverty: Hubert, Vinz and Saïd are social excluded due to Saïd’s angry outburst when they are told they canot see Abdel.The policemen at the station are seen as figures of authority and look down upon the youth, making them feel disadvantaged.

Conflict: There is conflict between the circle of friends when Hubert confronts Vinz’s morals regarding the killing of a police officer.There is greater sense of conflict between the police and the three youths when they are stopped from seeing their friend.

Head-On – Fatih AkınSequence chosen/time code: 105 minutes and 50 seconds – 113 minutes and 40 secondsNiko taunts Cahit by badmouthing Sibel and claims that he has slept with her. Humiliated, Cahit kills Niko out of anger. The news of Sibel’s infidelity becomes public knowledge and

she is disowned by her family.

Power: Sibel’s father is the leader of his family as he has the power to disown his daughter. In the sequence, we see him burning pictures of Sibel after her promiscuity comes to his knowledge. Although Sibel’s mother tries to stop him from burning the photos, she cannot make him change his mind because he has had the final say.Niko is also depicted as powerful. He ultimately has the upper hand when he teases Cahit because he has slept with Sibel whilst Cahit (her husband) has not. In this scene, the dark interior of the bar is foreshadowing the unfortunate incident which is yet to occur. Conflict: Cahit killing Niko can be compared to

two male animals fighting over a mate. This comparison is well fitting for Cahit as his behavior can be described as quite animalistic.There has been ongoing conflict between Sibel and her family but, it is heightened once she is disowned. The tracking shot of her being chased by her brother and the close up shot of her pictures as they are burn portray this.

Poverty: With a husband in jail and no family to look after her, Sibel is left without any money to support herself and so she crashes at Guven’s house.

Lilja 4-ever – Lukas MoodyssonSequence chosen/time code: 8 minutes and 30 seconds – 14 minutes and 40 seconds

Lilja’s mother gives her up for a life in America with her boyfriend, leaving Lilja to fend for herself. She is forced to move out of her home and into a dirty apartment by her cruel,

insensitive aunt.

Power: Lilja’s mother’s boyfriend is seen in a dominant light as he is convinces her to leave Lilja on her own. Patriarchy is a factor which stands out distinctly in this film with the sex traffickers being mainly men.Age patriarchy can also be another issue that contributes to the theme of power as Lilja’s aunt has the authority to evict Lilja from her home.

Poverty: Lilja’s new home is a dirty apartment which hasn’t been cleaned since its previous owner died three months ago. Litter covers the floor, stained blankets and bed covers are strewn all over the place and the bathroom is comparable to a pigsty.Volodya is also forced to sleep rough when his alcoholic father kicks him out.

Conflict: After being abandoned by her mother, Lilja tears up the photograph of her mother in a fit of rage. This is presented through a close-up of the image and then of Lilja’s face so that the audience is able to see her pained expression.There is also conflict between Lilja and her aunt.