![La Haine (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41sZxc3bpCL.jpg)
Product Description Vincent Cassel, Said Taghmaoui, Hubert Kound. in a suburban ghetto of Paris, three immigrants-a Jew, an African and an Arab-boil over with hostility during a racially-motivated riot with French police. The landmark film offers a gripping tale indicative of contemporary France's ethnic identity crisis. In French with English subtitles. 2 DVDs. 1995/b&w/96 min/NR/widescreen. .com It's easy to see why La Haine had such an explosive effect when it was released in France; its potent portrait of racial discord and life in the housing projects outside of Paris is at odds with France's egalitarian vision of itself. This impact wouldn't have lasted, however, were the movie purely a political statement; fortunately, it's a riveting journey that follows three unemployed young men (Said Taghmaoui, Hubert Kounde, and Vincent Cassel) as they wander and try to decide what to do with the gun that one of them has found. This simple scenario results in a remarkably complex examination of race, class, violence, and the abuse of power in modern society, yet never feels preachy or forced. Hugely influenced by American directors like Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee (particularly Do the Right Thing), La Haine riffs through different styles and techniques, yet the movie feels organic and whole, driven by a genuinely passionate point of view. Dynamic, reckless, sometimes obvious and sometimes subtle (and sometimes both; in one scene, Hubert and Said have been picked up by the police, who torture them for kicks. But watching the abuse is a rookie cop whose face quietly ripples with dismay, helplessness, and resignation), this is a must-see. As is usual with Criterion releases, the extra features are excellent, including an in-depth but accessible documentary about the housing projects and riots that inspired the film, retrospective material on the making of the movie, behind-the-scenes horseplay, intriguing deleted scenes (with brief but revealing explanations about the deletion from director Mathieu Kassovitz), and a wonderfully articulate introduction by Jodie Foster, who championed the film upon its release and distributed it through her production company. The audio commentary by Kassovitz, who's fluent in English, is circumspect and thoughtful, with flashes of sardonic humor. Kassovitz's directing career has turned decidedly less political (his more recent movies include The Crimson Rivers and Gothika), but his perspective on La Haine and its inspirations remains sharp and lucid. --Bret Fetzer
M**N
excellent...
story and acting. Anything with Vincent Cassel in it is worthy.
D**T
Brand new Criterion
Item as described, thanks a lot
S**E
Raw & Explosive - Pulls No Punches
I first experienced this powerful movie during the mid-90's, and it remains one of my favorite films. Director Mathieu Kassovitz scored a bullseye by casting three talented french actors just hitting their stride: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui.Much like "Do the Right Thing", La Haine shows us what can happen when the inner city of any country reaches it's boiling point. What's important is that the film doesn't glorify violence, it expresses the sentiment that violence ultimately solves nothing.I loved the cinematography, and the opportunity to explore the seedier sides of Paris. The style of shooting and authenticity brought to the characters makes it seem as though you're watching an actual documentary, rather than a fictional account.I was blown away the first time I watched this film, and buying it from Amazon was a great investment. If you want to watch three excellent actors in breakout roles, breathing life into a gritty urban drama, add La Haine to your movie collection.
J**S
Eye-opening and surprisingly good
I was a little nervous going into this because of the music and setting, I thought it was going to have a lot of violence and drug use. Overall I was wrong. The film itself is very good but after watching the supplements my appreciation for it really increased. The film is a look at what it's like to live in the public housing areas on the outskirts of Paris. Except for everyone speaking French it feels exactly like you're in the same areas of New York. One of the reasons the film was made was to make people aware that these areas exist in France and that there is a lot of violence and unrest in these areas. This isn't only a very entertaining, well-done film, it's also a bit of a lesson that's very interesting.
P**S
One of my favorite criterion releases
All the features are great. Commentary is very entertaining, all the interviews were informative.Would recommend to anyone, especially fans of the movie.
D**.
TO BE FRENCH OR NOT TO BE, THAT'S THE QUESTION
With LA HAINE he wrote and directed, Mathieu Kassovitz earned international recognition and won the 1995 Cannes festival Best Director award and the 1996 César (French Oscar) award in the Best Film category. He directed since two movies which also pleased audiences and film critics altogether : The Crimson Rivers and Gothika (Widescreen Edition). Vincent Cassel who plays the main character of LA HAINE is the son of the well-known French actor Jean-Pierre Cassel.Shot in a glorious black & white, LA HAINE gets a royal treatment from the Criterion boys. If you still hesitate to see the film, Jodie Foster's introduction will sweep up your last reluctances. Take also a look at the trailers before seeing the film, you'll understand then why so many of us were so eager to see LA HAINE in 1995.With LA HAINE, Mathieu Kassovitz found the only way to interest, nowadays, young people in sociologic or political topics like Frank Capra did in the 40's. These films must coat their content with an attractive packaging. Hence the numerous references, in LA HAINE, to Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee or Martin Scorsese's productions.A DVD zone Liberty, Equality, Fraternity.
S**8
French classic. Real, raw and more relevant than ever.
This is one of the deepest and most symbolic movies directed about the failure of French society to integrate young people- or young men- from underprivileged socio-economic backgrounds. It is a quasi documentary based on two major police “blunders” which resulted in two tragic deaths. This film is so rich that it must be viewed several times to grasp all cinematographic and cultural references. A wake-up call.
J**R
La Haine
This prescient, explosive street drama set in the slummy projects of Paris (still simmering today after hauntingly similar riots in 2005) takes place over the course of 24 hours. Taking a cue from Scorsese and Spike Lee, Kassovitz employs a visceral, bag-of-tricks visual style that lacks subtlety but will certainly keep you riveted. His young actors, representing a motley cross section of alienated outsiders, are fresh and funny, especially in their chest puffing, pop-culture-inflected banter. Giving voice to the voiceless and volatile, and building to a jarring climax, "La Haine" is an indelible, up-to-the-minute portrait of underclass rage in contemporary France.
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