La Haine
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| La Haine | |
 La Haine cover, with the tagline Jusqu'ici tout va bien… ("So far, so good…") |
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| Directed by | Mathieu Kassovitz |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Christophe Rossignon |
| Written by | Mathieu Kassovitz |
| Starring | Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui |
| Music by | Assassin |
| Cinematography | Pierre Aïm |
| Editing by | Mathieu Kassovitz Scott Stevenson |
| Distributed by | Canal+ |
| Release date(s) | May 31, 1995 |
| Running time | 98 min. |
| Language | French |
| Budget | 15 million F (2.3 million €) |
La Haine (IPA: /la ɛːn/; French for "hate" or "hatred") is a French black-and-white film directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, released in 1995. It is released under its French title in the English-speaking world, although the American VHS release was entitled Hate. It is about three teenage friends and their struggle to live life in the suburbs of Paris. The title derives from a line spoken by Hubert: "La haine attire la haine!", "hatred breeds hatred."
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[edit] Synopsis
The film tells the story of three young friends in an impoverished multi-ethnic housing project (a ZUP - zone à urbaniser en priorité) in the aftermath of a great riot. Vinz (Vincent Cassel), who is Jewish, is filled with rage. He sees himself as a gangster ready to win respect by killing a cop, and models himself after Travis Bickle from the film Taxi Driver. Saïd - Sayid in some English subtitles - (Saïd Taghmaoui) is a happy and talkative Maghrebin who tries to find middle ground between his two friends' response to life. Hubert (Hubert Koundé) is an Afro-French boxer and drug dealer. Most quiet of the three, he sadly contemplates the ghetto and the hate around him. He is probably the only one who has a minimum of consciousness about the state of things. He wants to simply leave this decadent world of violence and hate behind him but doesn't know how since he lacks the means to do it. A friend of theirs, Abdel Ichaha, has been brutalized by the police shortly before the riot and lies in a coma. Vinz finds a policeman's revolver, lost in the riots. He vows that if their friend dies from his injuries, he will use it to kill a cop.
[edit] Production
It is said that Kassovitz based the script on the actual death of 22-year-old French Arab Malik Oussekine, who was beaten to death by police following a 1986 university demonstration. However, in interviews Kassovitz has said that the idea came to him when a young Zairian, Makome M'Bowole (sometimes also named as Makomé Bowole), was shot in 1993. He was killed at point blank range while in police custody and handcuffed to a radiator. The officer was reported to have been angered by Makomé's words, and had been threatening him when the gun went off accidentally.[1]
[edit] Trivia
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (March 2009) |
When Vinz, Hubert and Said go to Asterix's house to get Said's cash, one of the doorbells outside his building has the name 'Cassel' on it. This is a reference to the lead actor of the film, Vincent Cassel (he plays Vinz). This scene was filmed outside of Mr. Cassel's apartment building.
The leader of the group of skinheads, whom Vinz threatens with his gun, is played by the director of the film, Mathieu Kassovitz. Kassovitz also appears very briefly as a beggar on a train.
The manager of the art gallery is played by Mathieu Kassovitz's father, Peter Kassovitz.
The producer of the film, Christophe Rossignon plays a taxi driver, who refuses to pick the boys up without seeing their money.
[edit] Filming Locations
The majority of the filming was done in the Paris suburb of Chanteloup-les-Vignes
[edit] Video releases
La Haine was available on VHS in the United States, but was not released on DVD until the Criterion Collection released a 2-disc edition in 2007. The film has been shown on many Charter Communications Channels. Both HD DVD and Blu-ray versions have also been released in Europe.
[edit] Awards
- Best Director (Cannes Film Festival) - Mathieu Kassovitz
- Best Editing (César Awards) - Mathieu Kassovitz and Scott Stevenson
- Best Film (César Awards) - Mathieu Kassovitz
- Best Producer (César Awards) - Christophe Rossignon
- Best Young Film (European Film Awards) - Mathieu Kassovitz
- Best Foreign Language Film (Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards)
- Best Director (Lumiere Awards) - Mathieu Kassovitz
- Best Film (Lumiere Awards) - Mathieu Kassovitz
[edit] See also
- Cinema of France
- List of French language films
- 2005 civil unrest in France
- Social situation in the French suburbs
- Ma 6-T va crack-er
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- La Haine at the Internet Movie Database
- Independent take on the feature film
- Review of La Haine by Films de France
- Stanford University Review
- Working Class France..." POV by Matthieu Kassovitz about the 2005 riots in France
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Wild Reeds |
César Award for Best Film 1996 |
Succeeded by Ridicule |
