Les Banlieues: A Life Of Crime In French Suburbia?

The noun 'suburb' is commonly found when translating "les banlieues" from French to English (Oxford 2004). However it is necessary to consider that the word 'suburb' has somewhat diverse connotations for the French and the English. In English a suburb, suggests pleasant, quiet neighbourhoods away from the city that are conceivably somewhere desirable to live. In French the word "banlieue" advocates the opposite: poor and somewhat hostile areas, filled with the unemployed and in particular children of second generation Africans "Noirs", and North Africans "Beurs" who are referred to as third and fourth generation immigrants. Inhabitants of the "banlieue" are known as "Banlieusards". It is necessary to point out that not all "les banlieues" are poor: Versailles, Le Vésinet, Orsay and Neuilly-sur-Seine are affluent "banlieues" of Paris, while Clichy-sous-Bois is a particularly poor one. On the other hand perhaps the term 'Council Estate' in British English or the word 'Ghetto' in American English are more apt to describe the true meaning of "les banlieues". In the 1970s the factories in Paris, that had relied heavily on large numbers of unskilled labour in the 1960s, began to downscale their number of employees and naturally at the time foreigners were cut first (Tissot 2008). This left many immigrants unemployed and isolated, key factors to consider with regards to urban crime in France still today. Large gangs of young, black and Arab men can be seen loitering in the streets whilst others congregate in the grey, oppressive tower blocks that house them. The cars are burnt out, the buildings are plastered in graffiti and the sounds of police sirens fill the air. Living conditions in these areas are well known, where violence, gangs, and drugs are abundant. The representation of the "banlieue'" has been most recently portrayed in the films Banlieue 13 (French title)/ District 13 (2004) and the sequel District 13: Ultimatum (2009) set in 2010 in the ghettos of Paris and more notably in the film La Haine (1995) directed by Mattieu Kassovitz. Kassovitz said that the idea came to him in 1993, when a young Zairian, Makomé Bowole was killed accidently at point blank range, whilst in police custody and handcuffed to a radiator, by an officer who had been threatening him (Siciliano 2007). The film is set in one day in the lives of three friends in their early twenties, from immigrant families living in a disfavoured suburb of Paris, in the aftermath of a riot resulting in their friend Abdul being shot. Vinz (Vincent Cassel) a very aggressive Jew who wants to kill a cop, after finding a 44 Magnum revolver during the riot, if his friend Abdel dies. Hubert (Hubert Koundé) is an Afro-French boxer and small time drug dealer, whose gymnasium was burned in the riots. He has a great sense of morale and reflecting on the growing hate, aspires to leave the community one day. Saïd is a young Beur, the joker of the group who preserves the peace between Hubert and Vinz. The characters are a representation of multi-ethnic France, where in the 1990's during France's World Cup victory the term "Black-Black-Beur" was popularised ingeniously subverting "Bleu-Blanc-Rouge" the colours of the French flag). The community is represented in five aspects: the gang (Vinz, Hubert and Saïd); the predominance of men and boys signifies that men are more prone to violence than women; the solidarity and close relations of the youth in the film, where everybody knows everybody in the community; the 'war' against the police is obvious. There are many conflicts in the film against the police, the protagonists and the community together. Young people mock the police and there is a power struggle especially when they are in the community; and finally poverty in the neighbourhood among the young and elderly. Real footage was used for the film, taken from riots in the 80' and 90's. The majority of the filming was done in the Parisian suburb of Chanteloup-les-Vignes and riots still took place during the time of filming (Ginette 2005) and at the time was a true representation of these communities. Many young people from the banlieue often try to escape through music, Rap music to be precise, as a way of escapism and a way to express their life and if they are successful enough, a ticket out of the 'banlieue'. Kery James is a French rapper singer, songwriter, dancer, and record producer, who was born in West Indies from Haitian parents. His mother raised him in Orly, a suburb of Paris. Nowadays with his three solo albums, he is one of the most respected French rappers. The media labelled him "the rapper repented through Islam". Kery James is aware of it, he really assumes this image." I prefer to be the one who hold this role rather than somebody else. Numerous young Muslims are tempted to be intolerant or extremist. If I can open their eyes it is a good thing for them." (MusicPlayOn.com 2011) In his music Video entitled 'les Banlieuesards' we are presented with an abundance of successful "Banlieuesards", and Kery wears a t-shirt which states "On n'est pas condamné à l'échec" (we are not condemned to failure). This is someone who is writing about things that most of these young people living in these areas can relate to, giving them a voice and inspiring them to make something of themselves. Restitution and repression will never truly prevent crime or change the feeling of those living in poor neighbourhoods. Indeed as Mucchielli (2003) suggests, the only way the French can solve the problem is to reflect on the situation and make an investment in it. The process will evidently take years until society will see the full benefits where in the meantime the Government must use the police force as an aid to getting to know this people instead of threatening them with thousands of police officers hovering round each corner, waiting to arrest them without knowing the true situation. To conclude, it is the Governmental procedures and the attitudes of French society which must first change, before the actions and behaviours of the communities can change.