La Haine (1995)

'LA MONDE EST A VOUS' - THE WORLD IS YOURS'

Set in the gritty outskirts of Paris during the 1990's riots, three French youths face the pain and isolation of growing up in the banlieue (suburban slums) with the war between the police and the rioters happening around them. Filmed entirely in high-contrast black and white, Mathieu Kassovitz takes us through a day in the life of Vinz, Said and Hubert as they face constant harassment from the police, the media and pretty much anyone who comes near them. This close-to-the-knuckle anti-police film does not hold back on showing the hardship of life for people living in those conditions and manages to address other issues such as peer pressure, corruption, anger, violence and drugs, 'La Haine' isn't the lightest of films to watch, but easily a fantastic film all the same, raising issues that are still relative today.

Despite all the violence and crime that occurs in the 20 hours that the film is set in, I found myself drawn to liking the three characters and as the film progressed through the day I was less and less in support of the police. This was of course what Kassovitz wanted when he made this film and it's easy to see the anger that went into making 'La Haine'. The film was so controversial many police turned their back on the film when it was released at the 1995 Cannes film festival, many people still have a negative look on the film today given that these issues and riots are still occurring in Paris today.

The film on the whole, without trying to give too much away, is not necessarily the happiest of films, but regardless of that fact I still really enjoyed it and even found myself laughing on several occasions given the boredom that the characters face as well as the random incidents that happen throughout the day. 'La Haine' reminded me of Noel Clarke's 'Kidulthood' as it follows three youths and the way that it captures the isolation and crime that goes on in the outskirts of big cities such as Paris and London. The beauty of these types of films is that audiences are able to see a different point of view and culture to the sorts that they are use to seeing which gives 'La Haine' quite a 'fresh' feel in the cinema industry. Despite the fact the film is black and white and filmed entirely in French, it's still one worth checking out as the anger, violence, crime and even humour make it such an interesting

and moving film.