La Haine
1995 · Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz
Original language: French
- drama
The story
After a chaotic night of rioting in a marginal suburb of Paris, three young friends, Vinz, Hubert and Saïd, wander around unoccupied waiting for news about the state of health of a mutual friend who has been seriously injured when confronting the police.
What it’s like
Black-and-white widescreen photography gives the Paris suburbs a hard, grainy, sun-scorched look: wide, low-angle shots of concrete towers, empty car parks and graffiti-scarred walls, with handheld camera that stays close to the three friends as they drift through the day. Hip-hop fills the soundtrack in restless bursts, and long stretches of street quiet are broken by sirens and the blunt noise of confrontation. The vibe is tense, restless and bleakly funny, a slow-burning dread that never fully lets go, best suited to a focused night alone rather than casual background viewing. Pacing is taut and largely real-time, so the hours feel stretched and the sense of waiting becomes its own pressure. Its emotional register is raw and angry, with a close, loyal male friendship at its core, watched as it frays under anger, boredom and fear. Violence is frequent and sometimes sudden: police brutality, street fights and a gun that hangs over the story, all shown with unflinching directness rather than gore. It is for viewers who want a sharp, political, streetwise drama with strong performances and no easy comfort.
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