La Haine (1995)

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz 
Stars: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui
Runtime: 98 minutes

Synopsis: 24 hours in the lives of three young men in the French suburbs the day after a violent riot.

Verdict: La Haine. Hatred. This word has been rotting the world we live in for years now as proven by the countless riots that have been erupting on a daily basis all around the globe. The divide between angry citizens and their governments is seeing a pattern of exponential growth, leading to a civilization living in constant instability and ever-growing tensions.

“It’s about a society in a free fall. On the way down, it keeps telling itself: so far so good, so far so good, so far so good. But it’s not about how you fall, it’s about how you land.”

The closing lines of Mathieu Kassovitz’s black and white masterpiece released in 1995 perfectly sum up the underlying truth that the movie’s attempting to acknowledge. Taking place in Paris over the course of 24 hours, it dissects the aftermath of violent riots ignited by the brutal treatment of an Afro-French man held in police custody. Sounds unfortunately familiar, right?

We follow Vinz, Hubert, and Saïd (all named after the actors portraying them) as they roam the capital’s streets, observing the consequences of the riots on the belongings of innocent civilians while discussing the steps that should be taken next. They’re angry, irrational, aggressive, and we can’t help but perceive them through a judging eye. That is until a pivotal scene in which we are shown how security forces treat them behind closed doors. They’re handled like scum, played with like boxing bags one lash on in times of extreme stress. They’re repeatedly beaten, called racial slurs, told that their existence doesn’t matter. As you begin to understand these characters, the title of the movie starts to clearly reveal itself to us:

“La haine attire la haine.” Hatred breeds hatred.

26 years after its release, “La Haine” continues to grow in relevance, making it a must in my books. It’s a powerful, intense watch that will leave audiences shaking for a long time. Lovers of Cinema will also appreciate the craft behind it as it features some impressive camera work including a remarkably shot scene taken straight out of Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver” that left me in awe. This is the type of film that will leave a long-lasting mark on anyone that watches it.

FINAL GRADE: 10/10