Said la haine
In regards to the issue of racial privilege between the three friends, this is what most clearly separates them individually from each other. Simultaneously, however, the greyscale also makes that contrast between the juxtaposition of light and dark all the more striking. While greyscale on film finds definition through contrast, it aesthetically brings the subjects on the screen closer together by removing any saturation that might deter from what is being expressed through the composition of each shot. Shot entirely in black and white, the film seems to allude to a classic formal aesthetic of cinema that contrasts with its rather progressively innovative camera movements and narrative style for its time. He approaches one of the police vans and tags his name followed by the words “f**k the police.” These first 10 minutes set the tone for the rest of the film, highlighting its anxious, clever, and socially rebellious nature. Before him stands a multitude of police officers guarding what remains of their station after the defacing events of the previous night.
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The narrative begins with the sound of an anxious clock ticking quickly over a title card that reads “10:38,” suddenly interrupted with the bang of a gunshot, cutting to a close up on the face of Saïd, his eyes shut, slowly opening. Over the images of people in the streets marching, fighting, and burning property, the song “Burnin and Lootin” by The Wailers plays overhead with its lyrics highlighting the violence committed by those “dressed in uniforms of brutality.” We’re brought to the “banlieues” of Paris by a news title that reads “BANLIEUE EMEUTS” (“OUTSKIRT RIOTS”) launching the story into action. The film opens with documentary footage pulled from the riots and protests that occurred after the police killings of Malik Oussekine in 1986 and of M’Bowole in 1993. Vinz is the only one between the three who participated in the riots and looting, where he stumbled upon an officer’s gun that he steals, vowing to use it to kill a police officer if their friend Abdel dies. The most aggressive of the group is Vinz. He is thoughtful, wise, and is shown to be the most motivated to leave the environment of the banlieue to give himself and his family a better life. Hubert appears to be the more contemplative of the three. Throughout the film, he comes off as playful and witty, seemingly optimistic, and occasionally naïve. La Haine, which translated to English means “Hatred,” tells a story that follows three friends, Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui), Hubert (Hubert Koundé), and Vinz (Vincent Cassel), in the hours following the brutal beating of their friend Abdel (Abdel Ahmed Ghili) by police officers, leaving him in critical condition and fighting for his life. The current global unrest in response to the irresponsibility within law enforcement makes this 25th anniversary rerelease all the more disturbingly relevant and timely, emphasizing a horrifying cycle that our nations seem to have yet overcome.
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This year, the British Film Institute (BFI) will be bringing a 4k rerelease of La Haine (1995) to UK theaters in September.
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While the film specifically targets the issues of police brutality, it also reflects the issues of class tensions and touches on racial privilege. Riots and protests filled the streets of the city and inspired young director Matthieu Kassovitz to start writing what would become the cautionary and haunting tale of his renowned film La Haine (1995). On April 6th, 1993, 17-year-old Makome M’Bowole was shot and killed by a police officer in Paris while in custody. His death resulted in an uproar of people all over the country, participating in riots and protests, raising their voices in a fight against police brutality, a fight that has since been revived in recent months. In light of the amplification of the Black Lives Matter movement this year, people in France remember Adama Traoré, a Malian-French man who was killed in police custody on his 24th birthday, four years ago. While our own nation continues to fight for justice on behalf of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others whose lives have been lost at the hands of law enforcement and the criminal justice system, we are not alone.