La Haine, also known as Hate, is absolutely brilliant. My mind is still reeling from it all because the ending completely blew my mind (Read: you MUST watch it till the very end. MUST). This movie is definitely a ten out of ten. On Rotten Tomatoes' Tomatometer, it's 100%, do you even need more convincing?
OK, maybe you do. The film revolves around three guys from the ghetto, Said, Vinz and Hubert, in a span of 24 hours. A riot broke out the night before and their friend was injured by a police officer, a gun was lost amidst the chaos. The gun is found by Vinz who threatens to kill an officer if their friend dies. The tension between the police force and the kids from the ghetto is intense. The stare downs and the fights between them are equivalent to witnessing a classmate arguing with a strict teacher, however you want to describe it, you will hold your breath.
La Haine addresses prejudice, racism, discrimination as well as ethics. There were some parts that made me recall lessons learnt from philosophy lectures. The way it was shot and presented is different as well, which is refreshing. It was released in 1995 but it is a black and white movie, do not let that deter you from watching it because it is genius.
Vinz: It's about a society on its way down. And as it falls, it keeps telling itself: "So far so good... So far so good... So far so good." It's not how you fall that matters. It's how you land.
Side note: Said sort of reminds me of Finn of Jacksgap in certain scenes. Is it just me or...?
Till then,
The world is yours.
