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starring: Olga Abrego, Nabil Ben Mhamed, Abdel-Moulah Boujdouni, Vincent Cassel, Choukri Gabteni
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786304331170
Format: Black & White, Color, HiFi Sound, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 6304331177
Label: Polygram Video
Manufacturer: Polygram Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Polygram Video
Release Date: February 11, 1997
Running Time: 96 minutes
Sales Rank: 16654
Studio: Polygram Video
Theatrical Release Date: February 23, 1996
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
It's easy to see why La Haine had such an explosive effect when it was released in France; its potent portrait of racial discord and life in the housing projects outside of Paris is at odds with France's egalitarian vision of itself. This impact wouldn't have lasted, however, were the movie purely a political statement; fortunately, it's a riveting journey that follows three unemployed young men (Said Taghmaoui, Hubert Kounde, and Vincent Cassel) as they wander and try to decide what to do with the gun that one of them has found. This simple scenario results in a remarkably complex examination of race, class, violence, and the abuse of power in modern society, yet never feels preachy or forced. Hugely influenced by American directors like Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee (particularly Do the Right Thing), La Haine riffs through different styles and techniques, yet the movie feels organic and whole, driven by a genuinely passionate point of view. Dynamic, reckless, sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle (and sometimes both; in one scene, Hubert and Said have been picked up by the police, who torture them for kicks. But watching the abuse is a rookie cop whose face quietly ripples with dismay, helplessness, and resignation), this is a must-see.
As is usual with Criterion releases, the extra features are excellent, including an in-depth but accessible documentary about the housing projects and riots that inspired the film, retrospective material on the making of the movie, behind-the-scenes horseplay, intriguing deleted scenes (with brief but revealing explanations about the deletion from director Mathieu Kassovitz), and a wonderfully articulate introduction by Jodie Foster, who championed the film upon its release and distributed it through her production company. The audio commentary by Kassovitz, who's fluent in English, is circumspect and thoughtful, with flashes of sardonic humor. Kassovitz's directing career has turned decidedly less political (his more recent movies include The Crimson Rivers and Gothika), but his perspective on La Haine and its inspirations remains sharp and lucid. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Powerful Stuff
In many ways, this powerful movie is like a Chekhov story where the mere presence of a gun requires its use. The story follows three young men the day after a riot in a French ghetto where the racial tension and police tension is not merely hiding under the surface, but always present. Without going into many details, the movie is a powerful statement about racial identity and the power struggles that are embedded in society. My French has been deteriorating for years, but even if it hadn't, I would ... Read More
Rating: - The French "Do the right thing"
A film that created massive controversy when it first came out (When it was shown the local police turned their backs on the cast as protest) This film is something of a French answer to the Spike Lee film "Do the right thing."
Set in a Paris suburb a young man is in hospital suffering from serious injury inflicted during a riot the night before. Three young men, one a white Jew, the other an Arab and the third a Black live in the same suburb. One of them discovers a gun that was recovered ... Read More
Rating: - Who's Gun is it Anyway?
Call me crazy but La Haine is a masterpiece. Absorbing, shocking, funny, attractive, absurd, frightening-all apply here. Though I watched it 12 years after it was released, it is not dated in the least (a quality enough to differentiate it from 95% of film). But that is not it's mere characteristic.
The performances of three pals from a banlieue (French housing project/ghetto/suburb) are verty exciting: fun, natural, edgy, caring. The cinematography ranges from arching overheard tracking shots to framed ... Read More
Rating: - Hip Hop, France, and Viva La Revolution!
My all time top 5 movie. Great cinematography, story, and urban French hip hop depiction. Must see... enough said. Oooo and its filmed in black and white.
Rating: - While My Gun Gently Weeps
La Haine is a film that flew beneath my radar for some time. Released to critical acclaim in 1995, it won numerous awards, and earned both the support and criticism of members of the French Government at the time. It explores a day in the life of three hood kids growing up in a public housing project outside of Paris. The film effectively and at times disturbingly shows the tension between the police and Paris' minority communities. Although it is 12 years old, its exploration of police brutality and racial/class ... Read More
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