HATE
(LA HAINE)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 8.0 Alternative Scale: ***1/2 out of ****
France, 1995 U.S. Release Date: beginning 2/96 (limited) Running Length: 1:35 MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, violence) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Cast: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Kounde, Said Taghmaoui, Francois Levantal,
Marc Duret
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Producer: Christophe Rossignon
Screenplay: Mathieu Kassovitz
Cinematography: Pierre Aim
U.S. Distributor: Gramercy Pictures
In French with subtitles
If there's one thing that Mathieu Kassovitz's black-and-white feature proves, it's that hate knows no boundaries -- international, racial, or generational. With a perspective that's part KIDS, part BOYZ 'N THE HOOD, part Scorsese, and part all its own, HATE offers a raw, powerful look at urban class struggles in and around Paris. If not for the subtitled French dialogue, this story could just as easily have taken place in New York, Los Angeles, London, or dozens of other cities.
HATE, which captured three Cesar awards last year, is an angry film from a passionate young film maker. The narrative is sparse, bordering on nonexistent, and the trio of main characters aren't the sort of people you'd want to meet in real life. But HATE never asks its audience to sympathize with the protagonists, only to understand some of the factors that make them act as they do. For ninety minutes, they rail against "the system" which has warped their existence, until the consequences of violence overtake them. You can only run so far, so fast.
The first of the three principals is Said (Said Taghmaoui), a French youth of Arab decent who often represents the voice of reason (such as it is). Next, there's Vinz (Vincent Cassel), a Jew who sees himself as a thug in the Robert De Niro mold (he does a pretty good imitation of TAXI DRIVER's "You talking to me?" line). The other member of the small group is Hubert (Hubert Kounde), an African French teen. HATE follows these characters for twenty-four hours as they meander through Paris' seedier districts. They have many enemies -- the police, skinheads, and the privileged, to name a few, and, when Vincent confesses that he has a gun, each of the three feels a thrill of power. Suddenly, they have the means to strike back, if only briefly, against the forces that have penned them into their unpromising life.
RAGE would be as appropriate a title as HATE, since there are plenty of both emotions boiling over here. The film's most distinguishing characteristic, aside from some innovative cinematography, is the ability to convey naked passion to the audience. HATE's portrayal of today's generation of frustrated, disillusioned youths understands that violence is a response to seeming impotence. And, although he doesn't have any answers, Kassovitz knows all the questions.
In HATE's culture, going to jail is a badge of honor and guns are viewed with awe (in France, they aren't as readily available as in the United States). Someone with a gun can make the transition from victim to enforcer -- they are empowered by something more tangible than a fickle badge of authority. Death doesn't mean much -- it is taken as inevitable, either sooner or later. The film uses a repeated, and somewhat chilling, metaphor comparing life in urban France to someone jumping off a skyscraper. All the way down, with each passing floor, the jumper thinks "So good, so far." Then he hits bottom. In the end, it's not how far you fall that matters, but how you land. HATE may portray young men who explode on impact, but the film itself has a solid touchdown.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net web: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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