There are not many films that can still be as relevant as it was when it was first made as it is now. However, one of those films is the French film La Haine. It possibly says more about society as a whole that there are still the same issues in the world as there was in 1995 but it is a cinematography masterclass captivating audiences around the world and still finding a relevant audience today.
What is La Haine?
La Haine, meaning The Hate in English, is a 1995 crime/drama film based around the outskirts of Paris. Following three young men from different backgrounds depicting France as the melting pot for different cultures to live together. All three are third generation with different back stories. Vinz is Jewish, Hubert is of African French descent and Saïd is of Arab descent.
The story follows the night after one of many riots that happened in Paris during the 90s as tensions rose in many factors in the slums. It was a tough time for a young person growing up in the capital city with all the glitz in the heart of the city yet the three young men feel like they are left to rot by society on the outskirts.
Societal scenes
The film is a commentary on how society was but unfortunately is still the case making it relevant to viewers seeing it for the first time to today. As it is shot in black and white, there is a real grit to the film drawing the viewer into the social commentary.
With this generation of young French people still in the grips of their parents who are everything French but this generation are having influences from America. We see scenes where Reebok shoes are all they need, hip hop style dancing and it is all joined together perfectly with the DJ scene.
In the block of flats there is the courtyard and one aspiring DJ, who is certainly feeling like this is his Glastonbury or Coachella moment, plays for the residents his new mix. The mix is the French and American influence that their life is but also a statement on how they feel treated by the police. A superb mix of Non Regrette Rien by Edith Piaf and Sound of da Police by KRS-One with interludes of “Nique La Police”. The song came at a pivotal moment in the film and changed the dynamic.
It also changed how the police were depicted in the film especially when the three main characters headed into the heart of the city. Following the heated tensions of the riots, two of the characters are caught and taken into police custody where they are brutally treated mainly because of the colour of their skin. The two police officers are showing a new recruit how to “deal” with people they see as lesser than them which only goes to show that the next generation will carry on with the brutality.
You see the three young men who really do not fit the world of the middle class, which director Mathieu Kassovitz shows when they head to an art event. He also shows the treatment they get from the media, shots by iconic Paris landmarks and the phrase “le monde est a vous” changed by Saïd to say “le monde est a nous”.
What do audiences think today?
Newer audiences are responsive to the film. I has managed to stay in the top 250 on IMDB despite the film being over 25 years old.
In a world where technology has changed and advanced, where people have more opportunity to break the shackles of society by working their way up the class divide for example using the best Forex trading platforms or looking into crypto currency, these were not available in 1995.
However, despite the opportunities the societal issues are still there with police brutality, governments putting people on the peripheral of society and racism. Time may have advanced but has society?
