Hate (La Haine)
Jusqu'ici, tout va bien...
How far you fall doesn't mater. It's how you land.
Every now and then, a movie comes along and explodes ideas you may have previously harbored about film. Hate (La Haine), winner of three Cesar Awards (the French equivalent of the Oscar), including Best Picture, is a film likely to shatter your preconceived notions about French films. No slow-moving artsy stuff here -- just pure hardcore in the form of a gritty tale of friendship and violence set in the Parisian slums. Think Do The Right Thing, Boyz in the Hood and Menace II Society -- French-style.
Vinz (Vincent Cassell) is Jewish, Hubert (Hubert Kounde) is black, and Said (Said Taghmaoui) is Arab. The three have forged a friendship based on their common dwellling (the projects), lack of money and distrust for the local police. As the film begins, a friend of theirs lies in the hospital, barely alive, the latest victim of police brutality. Tensions between the police and the young poor like Vinz, Hubert and Said are running at an all-time high.
The film follows the three lead characters during an explosive 24-hour time period. We see them interact with their peers, their families, the local police, the upper class, skinheads and one another. Some of these exchanges are hilarious; others, violent. But even during the humorous moments, you get the ominous feeling that at any moment something tragic may occur.
Said is the instigator of the crew, although his pranks are usually more humorous than harmful. Hubert is the voice of reason, preferring to express his angst by pounding on one of the punching bags at the gym he owns. Vinz is the loose cannon, boiling over with anger and doing imitations of Robert Deniro in Taxi Driver. If Abdel dies, Vinz vows to kill a cop in revenge.
Hate Writer/Director Mathieu Kassovitz is also an actor, having recently achieved international attention for his turn as Audrey Tautou's love interest in Amelie. Here, he teams with cinematographer Pierre Aim to create a visually unique film that heavily influenced Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights. From the stark black-and-white shots to the whirling camera to the memorably framed Parisian monuments, Kassovitz not only creates a wealth of extremely cool images but also mirrors the hopelessness of his characters. The visual look is complemented by a precise editing technique that further heightens the film's sense of urgency.
All three lead actors are superb, highlighted by Cassell's charismatic, explosive performance. Look for Cassel, the husband of Monica Bellucci (The Matrix Reloaded), to cross over to U.S. stardom in the not-so-distant future. Tahmaoui has already had a small-but-impressive role in an American film, playing a militant, mourning Arab who helps torture Mark Wahlberg's character in Three Kings.
The story keeps you guessing, philosophical but street-smart, hilarious one moment and shocking the next. In one powerful sequence, Said and Hubert are arrested for nothing more than being in an upper class neighborhood, then are tortured and humiliated in a haunting police interrogation scene.
It all builds to one of the most shocking climaxes you're likely to see. Hate effortlessly transcends racial and geographical barriers to explore emotions that any human being can relate to. One of the best films of the '90s, Hate is a viewing experience you won't soon forget.
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Take inspiration from the memorable scene in which the three lead characters sip champagne, mingle with wealthy socialites and try to pick up some women.
The Paris on display here isn't the glamorous romantic paradise usually pictured.
Buy this film from Amazon.com
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2) Do The Right Thing
3) Menace To Society
4) Boogie Nights
5) 10 Fantastic Foreign Films
