Bande de Filles Exam number: B229894
The film Bande de Filles directed by Céline Sciamma presents a raw and bold depiction of
the lives of four young women in a Parisian suburb. The film is thought by some to radically
challenge the prevailing stereotypes of French "cinéma de banlieue" or suburban cinema
through the naturalistic ways in which the director films the movie. Sciamma's approach to
filmmaking and her divergence from the conventional portrayal of women and minorities in
French cinema is evident in numerous ways.
Sciamma subverts well-known film clichés in a variety of ways, including editing. Cutting
between images creates a sense of urgency and velocity throughout the film and highlights
the hectic pace of life for young people from disadvantaged communities. Quick edits and
truncated sequences are used to represent the unstable and perilous environment the girls
frequently encounter. A pertinent scene which demonstrated the efficiency of the editing is
that of the close up scene of Marieme putting the pocket knife that she found whilst doing the
dishes in her back pocket followed by the transition scene in the elevator. 1The reason as to
why the editing in this scene is key to the development of the film is because we see
Marieme’s mindset transitioning into one of a stronger and more independent woman as she
is finally coming to terms with the fact that she needs to be able to protect herself from the
harsh societal norms of sexism and abuse in her life. In addition to this as viewers we can
see that Sciamma is challenging the stereotypical representations of French ‘cinema de
banlieue’ as instead of focusing on the troubles of men who live in the Parisian suburbs, we
witness a woman realising that the only way to avoid trouble is through self defence.
Likewise, Sciamma uses sound to emphasise the relationships and exchanges between the
females. The sound design is frequently disjointed throughout the movie, adding to the
tension and underscoring the girls' story. 2 The use of diegetic noise, such as footsteps,
laughter and shouts, is very important throughout the movie as it adds impact to the milieu of
the gang's activities. Furthermore, a scene that really stands out in regards to its use of
sound is that of the dancing scene in the hotel to the song ‘Shine bright like a diamond’. In
this scene we can observe the four girls dancing throughout the whole song in slow motion
with smiles on their faces. Sciamma uses this song as the girls are clearly feeling an
emotional connection to the lyrics of the song due to the meaning of shining bright like a
diamond, representing a journey of reaching a destination of happiness and feeling
comfortable with who you are. Additionally, it also represents an untroubled state of mind far
away from all the problems that the girls face in their daily lives. It is interesting to note that
Sciamma clearly is challenging the stereotypical representations of French ‘cinema de
banlieue’ as we would usually expect to hear hip hop or rap music in French suburban
movies however instead Sciamma chose to use pop music which strays away from the
stereotypical representation of these movies.
1
Chaplin, F. (n.d.). Peephole Journal. [online] peepholejournal.tv. Available at:
http://peepholejournal.tv/issue/08/03-chaplin/ [Accessed 25 Mar. 2023].
2
British Film Institute. (n.d.). Girlhood review | Sight & Sound. [online] Available at:
https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/reviews-recommendations/film-
week-girlhood [Accessed 16 Mar. 2023].
The film Bande de Filles directed by Céline Sciamma presents a raw and bold depiction of
the lives of four young women in a Parisian suburb. The film is thought by some to radically
challenge the prevailing stereotypes of French "cinéma de banlieue" or suburban cinema
through the naturalistic ways in which the director films the movie. Sciamma's approach to
filmmaking and her divergence from the conventional portrayal of women and minorities in
French cinema is evident in numerous ways.
Sciamma subverts well-known film clichés in a variety of ways, including editing. Cutting
between images creates a sense of urgency and velocity throughout the film and highlights
the hectic pace of life for young people from disadvantaged communities. Quick edits and
truncated sequences are used to represent the unstable and perilous environment the girls
frequently encounter. A pertinent scene which demonstrated the efficiency of the editing is
that of the close up scene of Marieme putting the pocket knife that she found whilst doing the
dishes in her back pocket followed by the transition scene in the elevator. 1The reason as to
why the editing in this scene is key to the development of the film is because we see
Marieme’s mindset transitioning into one of a stronger and more independent woman as she
is finally coming to terms with the fact that she needs to be able to protect herself from the
harsh societal norms of sexism and abuse in her life. In addition to this as viewers we can
see that Sciamma is challenging the stereotypical representations of French ‘cinema de
banlieue’ as instead of focusing on the troubles of men who live in the Parisian suburbs, we
witness a woman realising that the only way to avoid trouble is through self defence.
Likewise, Sciamma uses sound to emphasise the relationships and exchanges between the
females. The sound design is frequently disjointed throughout the movie, adding to the
tension and underscoring the girls' story. 2 The use of diegetic noise, such as footsteps,
laughter and shouts, is very important throughout the movie as it adds impact to the milieu of
the gang's activities. Furthermore, a scene that really stands out in regards to its use of
sound is that of the dancing scene in the hotel to the song ‘Shine bright like a diamond’. In
this scene we can observe the four girls dancing throughout the whole song in slow motion
with smiles on their faces. Sciamma uses this song as the girls are clearly feeling an
emotional connection to the lyrics of the song due to the meaning of shining bright like a
diamond, representing a journey of reaching a destination of happiness and feeling
comfortable with who you are. Additionally, it also represents an untroubled state of mind far
away from all the problems that the girls face in their daily lives. It is interesting to note that
Sciamma clearly is challenging the stereotypical representations of French ‘cinema de
banlieue’ as we would usually expect to hear hip hop or rap music in French suburban
movies however instead Sciamma chose to use pop music which strays away from the
stereotypical representation of these movies.
1
Chaplin, F. (n.d.). Peephole Journal. [online] peepholejournal.tv. Available at:
http://peepholejournal.tv/issue/08/03-chaplin/ [Accessed 25 Mar. 2023].
2
British Film Institute. (n.d.). Girlhood review | Sight & Sound. [online] Available at:
https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/reviews-recommendations/film-
week-girlhood [Accessed 16 Mar. 2023].
