Directed by:
Mathieu KassovitzScreenplay:
Mathieu KassovitzCinematography:
Pierre AïmCast:
Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Benoît Magimel, Édouard Montoute, François Levantal, Karin Viard, Peter Kassovitz, Vincent Lindon (more)Plots(1)
While to most outsiders Paris seems the very picture of beauty and civility, France has had a long and unfortunate history of intolerance toward outsiders, and this powerful drama from filmmaker Mathieu Kassovitz takes an unblinking look at a racially diverse group of young people trapped in the Parisian economic and social underclass. Vinz (Vincent Cassel), who is Jewish, Hubert (Hubert Kounde), who is Black, and Said (Said Taghmaoui), who is Arabic, are young men from the lower rungs of the French economic ladder; they have no jobs, few prospects, and no productive way to spend their time. They hang out and wander the streets as a way of filling their days and are sometimes caught up in frequent skirmishes between the police and other disaffected youth. One day, a street riot breaks out after police seriously injure an Arab student; the three friends are arrested and questioned, and it is learned that a policeman lost a gun in the chaos. However, what they don't know is that Vinz picked it up and has it in his possession, and when Vinz, Hubert, and Said get into a scuffle with a group of racist skinheads, the circumstances seem poised for tragedy. (Transmission Films)
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Reviews (6)
I can. I had a royal time watching this one-day glimpse into the lives of three Parisian teenagers. It is filmed with beautiful lightness and no stress. The black and white gives the film a gloomy, whimsical atmosphere and for that, I also give a thumbs up. Despite the fact that producers conceived this film as a drama, it rather left me with positive feelings. Many viewers may not appreciate a certain, somewhat empty script, almost no tension or plot. However, I don't mind such films once in a while. Hate is a very good evening relaxation, especially when Vincent Cassel keeps popping up constantly. For me, great satisfaction.
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I've perhaps never experienced such anticipation for every new shot in a movie. Where they're going to put the camera this time, where the shot is going to come from, where it's going to take us. Every image, the layout of the characters in it, their body language, the setting of it in the real Paris and its suburbs, all create a strangely magical-realistic microcosm. This, unlike most French social dramas, is not altogether binary and yet has such a sympathetic childlike playfulness to it, reflected in the behavior and aimlessness of the actions of most of those involved. We don't know anyone’s backstory here, unless we project one onto them by virtue of their being an Arab, a Jew, a black man, or a cop. At the same time, the film constantly feels like a game where all the players know the rules, where Paris is a giant playing field where they all pretty much out of boredom just shove each other, double-cross each other, and chase each other between buildings, then they patch everything up again until someone breaks the code and a gun ends up in the hands of someone it shouldn't. Jusqu'ici tout va bien
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Le monde est à vous. The protagonists don’t dwell on whether it’s just another day among thousands or the final one in a series. Instead, the viewer, with their vantage point from the outside, has the advantage of focusing on the causes that lead to the consequences. It’s pure urban cinema, a genre that French filmmakers have been unsuccessfully chasing in recent years. The final shot—or rather, the final sound—might leave you in suspense, but the spiral of hatred cares little about who is involved. What matters is its relentless acceleration. Le monde est à nous.
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The line "The world is ours" runs through the entire film, almost predicting the future of France. Today, the French can’t complain about the state of their country because director Mathieu Kassovitz absolutely nailed it. And he did it ten years before the real public unrest even began. Seriously, hats off. The film captures the reality of different communities trying to coexist when they don't have many other options. Vincent Cassel’s performance is brilliant.
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