SO FAR, SO GOOD.
In the banlieues of Paris, three teenagers (Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui) are friends, but feel differently about the place they grew up; they all, however, have reason to mistrust the police. Mathieu Kassovitz, at that time known mostly as an actor, made a movie that remains relevant in its portrayal of tensions between the police and young, frustrated men held down because of their class and race. Based upon an actual incident, there is much about this film that rings true. Packed with visual tricks and striking, symbolic images; with a style this intense, the boys try our patience but that’s part of the honesty. The cast make us believe in them. The last scene is a stand-out.
1995-France. 95 min. B/W. Produced by Christophe Rossignon. Written and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz. Cinematography: Pierre Aïm. Music: Assassin. Cast: Vincent Cassel (Vinz), Hubert Koundé (Hubert), Saïd Taghmaoui (Saïd), Karim Belkadra, Edouard Montoute, Marc Duret.
Trivia: Original title: La haine.
Cannes: Best Director.
Last word: “I’m French so I tell French stories because that’s what I can relate to and they’re closer to me. But, you know, you see those stories everywhere. There’s not one country where you don’t have that. That’s why ‘Hate’ is so powerful and successful everywhere in the world and still today, it relates. You know, I have people everyday coming to me to tell me that that movie changed their life. Every fucking day, it’s crazy because you know, it happened everywhere. I thought it was a French problem. No, police brutality is everywhere. Now, we are talking about government brutality and that’s everywhere, so we can relate to it. I’m not criticising France, I am just showing an aspect of France that you can see everywhere.” (Kassovitz, View London)
