This is a major boon to the film and it stands out of the crowd for this, even though many people will dislike it because of this. The quality of acting is simply stunning from several actors and it would be a shame if it was simply dismissed as "just another foreign art-house movie" by audiences outside France.Ībove all the film whilst showing the influences of American films and society has a very clear sense of it's own identity and at no time does it feel like another US Ghetto film transposed to France. The characters are above all believable and the cast did a great job. The plotline is compelling and realistic and neatly shows the way that inner city life has gone in the big cities in France as well as proving that despite the romance of Paris, it suffers from the same problems as any other major city. It's rare that a film like this is considered both genuine and a good example of it's art but La Haine is both. The first thing that stands out about the film is the cinematography. I have seen La Haine a handful of times now and with each viewing it just gets better. Reviewed by Atlaz 8 /10 Better and Better Someone should pass the word to a few of the world leaders. Though it is a wake-up call for action on society's growing gap between rich and poor, La Haine makes a powerful statement that violence does not solve anything and that hate begets hate. Three weeks after the film was released, riots broke out in the Brixton section of London, following the death of a young black man in police custody. In its depiction of a society in free-fall, it also has immediacy. La Haine does not offer any solutions to social problems but clearly shows the anger and frustration of people who feel trapped by their circumstances. When Vinz finds a Smith & Wesson 44 lost by the police during the riots, the spiral of violence escalates and builds toward a memorable conclusion. Hubert wants to restrain him, and Said doesn't seem to care either way, as long as he can get his money from a drug dealer named Snoopy.
Following a major riot in which a local teenager, Abdel, is critically wounded by the police, Vinz, the most volatile of the group, vows that if Abdel dies he will kill a cop to get even. Shot in black and white, La Haine shows a single day in the lives of the three friends. The rookie can only look on and shake his head in disbelief. In one startling scene, a veteran cop taunts and physically abuses Said and Hubert while training a rookie cop. Marginalized economically and politically, without jobs, parents who care, or hope for the future, the streets are their home and they are open targets for police who are shown as brutal and racist. The film depicts their rage against the police whom they see as oppressors. Vinz (Vincent Cassel), is a working class Jew Hubert (Hubert Kounde), the most intelligent and self-reflective of the three, is an African boxer and Said (Said Taghmaoui), an Arab from North Africa is younger but just as embittered. This is not the Paris of travel brochures or films like Amelie, but a desolate urban landscape, harsh and grim with housing projects that look as if they could be in any big city in the world. Three friends from different ethnic backgrounds live in the Bluebell housing projects on the outskirts of Paris. Although drug dealing, urban decay, and police brutality have been shown in films before, rarely have they had the sense of vitality and urgency shown in La Haine. Reminiscent of Costas-Gavras' film Z with its rapid-fire dialogue and staccato rhythms, La Haine (Hate) directed by 28 year-old Mathieu Kassovitz, is a passionate look at racial tensions at a Paris housing project. Reviewed by howard.schumann N/A Hate Begets Hate And, perhaps most of all, THE perfect script.Īs much a realistic portrayal of a torn society as it is an artistic achievement, 'La Haine' is essential viewing. Everything fits: the musical choices, the outstanding performances by the 3 main characters, the beautiful cinematography and flawless direction.
But it's also a cinematic masterpiece and great, often hilarious entertainment. While there are so many references to Scorsese that you could almost call it an homage, this French milestone deals with the disillusioned youth who live in the outskirts of Paris in such an elegant - and honest - way, that I would go so far as to call it the most relevant French film of the last 20 years. 'Mean Streets' in french - and so much more. Reviewed by gogoschka-1 10 /10 The most relevant French film of the last 20 years