La Haine (Hatred)

The 1996 French film La Haine, or Hatred, is a grisly look at social injustice. The story is based on filmmaker Mathieu Kassovitz’s personal experiences with riots and civil disobedience in the racially charged suburbs (banlieues) of Paris in the late 1980's and early 90’s.

The film is loosely based on a brutal incident in 1993, where a young man from the Republic of Zaire, Makome M'Bowole, was shot while handcuffed to a radiator by a police officer.

The film is part documentary, as many of the film's scenes are actual footage taken from Parisian riots that took place from 1983 all the way to 1996 and--amazingly enough--some of these riots were still taking place during filming. To add even more realism, many of the films actors were locals who had participated or witnessed the riots up close.

La Haine follows three friends in a 24-hour period. The friends all are a diverse bunch: Jewish, African, and Middle Eastern, but are Parisians to be sure, bound in brotherhood by the constant strife and impoverishment that surrounds them.

The film follows "Vinz," who becomes enraged by the news of the abuse of  a man named Abdel Ichaha (based on M'Bowole) by the police. 

Vinz's hatred toward not just the police, but the world as a whole, is palpable throughout the film, and only softened slightly by the efforts of his two friends, Said and Hubert. 

Said provides some much needed comic relief in the film, and exudes more of a laissez faire attitude towards the world.  He is the middle ground between his two friends, who are  in a state of constant bickering.

The third friend of the film's trio, Hubert, a boxer who frequently advocates for peace over violence, suggesting that hatred and anger only leads to more "la haine."

The moral conflict of the film begins when Vinz gains possession of a police-issue handgun that was misplaced by police.  Vinz seems determined to enact revenge against those he feels is a force of oppression.  Adding to this tension is the fact that the entire police force seems equally determined to recover the gun, which has caused some deal of embarrassment for them.

There is a certain realism in La Haine that seems to be increasingly difficult for big budget films to reproduce.  Kassovitz used a hand-held camera and cheaply made special effects during production, but this doesn't hinder the film's alure, but rather adds to its grittiness.  

Kassovitz offers a glimpse into a very grim world, built upon shaky foundations of racial prejudice, social inequality, and other sociological elements that create instability and chaos.  

La Haine is a very strong character study and philosophical offering the French have become so synonymous with.  A rip-roaring ride through a world hinging on madness.

"The world is yours ours"

MY RATING: 7.5