La Haine (1995): review

A day under pressure

Following unrest and a friend’s serious injury, Vinz, Hubert and Saïd spend a day moving between their neighbourhood and Paris. A recovered police gun intensifies the tension. Their movements may initially seem ordinary, but anger, mistrust and a lack of prospects are constantly present.

Mathieu Kassovitz does not turn this into a comforting story of heroes. Police violence, racism and exclusion shape the characters’ circumstances, while the friends respond to pressure in different ways. Their conversation and humour give them human individuality rather than reducing them to political positions.

Three strong voices

Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé and Saïd Taghmaoui complement one another exceptionally well. The energy of their performances sustains the film even when little appears to happen. Dynamic black-and-white photography makes the harshness of the environment visible and gives encounters a tension of their own.

The perspective has limitations. Women are largely absent, leaving a strongly male view of this world. Some of the wandering through Paris also feels prolonged. These passages fit the characters’ lack of direction, but they do not always keep the rhythm equally sharp.

Verdict

La Haine is powerful and affecting cinema. Its performances, visual construction and combination of anger with casual humour give it substantial impact. A limited perspective and occasional slow stretches do little to diminish how convincingly it conveys social pressure and the dangerous proximity of violence.