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La Haine (1995)

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz

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3 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Twenty-four hours in the Paris projects: an Arab boy is critically wounded in hospital, gut-shot, and a police revolver has found its way into the hands of a young Jewish skinhead, Vinz (Cassel), who vows to even the score if his pal dies. Vinz hangs out with Hubert (Koundé) and Saïd (Taghmaoui). They razz each other about films, cartoons, nothing in particular, but always the gun hovers over them like a death sentence, the black-and-white focal point for all the hatred they meet with, and all they can give back. Kassovitz has made only one film before (the droll race-comedy Métisse), but La Haine puts him right at the front of the field: this is virtuoso, on-the-edge stuff, as exciting as anything we've seen from the States in ages, and more thoroughly engaged with the reality it describes. He combats the inertia and boredom of his frustrated antagonists with a thrusting, jiving camera style which harries and punctuates their rambling, often very funny dialogue. The politics of the piece are confrontational, to say the least, but there is a maturity and depth to the characterisation which goes beyond mere agitprop: society may be on the point of self-combustion, but this film betrays no appetite for the explosion. A vital, scalding piece of work.

Author: TCh 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

Raz said...

Posted on Oct 28 2009 05:02 The only people who will rave about this movie are people who can't say "It's just a dramatized version of them pricks who live around the corner from me".
This movie is not deep, or leave its mark... it ain't creative or original; although very realistic and greatly acted it is just a movie about pricks being pricks. And don't bother waving the 'Social Commentary' flag either, its substance is far too obvious in day to day life for us to need to be told about it in a movie... all you need to do is go down to the dole office at 9am on a weekday to pick out any substitute for this movie in any town or city in ours or their country.

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mohammad said...

Posted on Jan 02 2009 11:48 Brilliant film. Tells the story from the view on the street. Definately one to watch

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Magmabulle said...

Posted on Jun 06 2008 22:39 A strong, touching and unforgettable movie that everyone should see.

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