A Prophet
Directed by Jacques Audiard
- crime
- drama
The story
Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group.
What it’s like
Cool, desaturated prison interiors: fluorescent corridors, grey cell walls, and night scenes lit by sodium glare and the cold blue of television screens. The camera stays close and restless, often handheld at the shoulder of a young man trying to read a room before it turns on him. Sparse, pulsing electronic score surfaces only at key moments, and the rest is the clatter of doors, footsteps on concrete, and hushed negotiations. The mood is tense, watchful and grimly patient, with a slow hardening of its central figure rather than any thrill-ride momentum. Violence is sudden and brutal but not lingered on: stabbings in confined spaces, a brief riot, and a murder that lands with a short, ugly finality. Dread and cruelty carry more weight than gore, and there is no sexual content. The film runs long, around two and a half hours, so its pace suits a committed evening. It is for viewers who want a serious, unsentimental crime drama about power, loyalty and survival, rather than something gentle or comforting.
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