Acting Legend Paul Ritter Passes Away at Age 54
Tribute to actor Paul Ritter
25 years after its original release, it’s clear to see the social relevance of La Haine today. Director Mathui Kassovitz based the plot on the Paris riots which emerged after 16-year-old, Mokome Bowole died in police custody. The film centres itself around three friends Vinz, Said and Hubert after riots break out, following the arrest and hospitalisation of their friend, Abdel. The narrative is set over a 24-hour period, inspired by Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, which follows a similar structure.
Unlike many French films, which heavily romanticise Parisian culture, La Haine looks at institutionalised racism, class struggle and white privilege, challenging audience perceptions of France and Paris.
In one particular scene, where the friends head into Paris to avoid the police who are holding them and others in their community as responsible for the riots, they stumble across an art exhibit. It becomes clear that they do not fit in and are rejected by the Parisian art crowd. In contrast to their friends on the estate where they live, who express their own artistic abilities through street art and dance, the classism within Parisian culture becomes clear.
The racist and fascist nature of the police is further highlighted when Hurbet and Said are taken into police custody. The police put them both in choke holds, throw water over them and joke about killing them. The scene is an intense and uncomfortable watch, highlighting Riz’s white privilege as he escapes the police and sheepishly finds his friends following their ordeal. He can not comprehend the fact that although he is from a working-class background his friends are more vulnerable to police harassment and brutality then he will ever be.
25-years on and police brutality and racial discrimination are just as prevalent in society and have been at the forefront of the media following the murder of George Floyd in the US in May this year. As a result, discussions regarding the defunding of the police and the ways in which racism and microaggressions are constantly prevalent are being created.
La Haine exposes a dark side of both Paris and Europe’s own issues with racism to create a harrowing, suspenseful, and brilliant film. The use of black and white and social realism is somewhat reminiscent of British Director Ken Loach’s work. The use of fast-paced cuts and jarring camera angles add to the tension of the film.
The BFI 4K re-relase of La Haine was shown throughout cinemas during September and October and is also now available on the BFI Payer for those who missed out.
About the author /
Kiah-Azriel Freer
More News Stories:
-
12th April 2021 -
10th April 2021 A Tribute to HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Image: Allan Warren/CC The United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and the world are in mourning following the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who died on the 9th April 2021. The nation owes the Duke of Edinburgh an immeasurable debt of gratitude for his service to the Crown and to the country. He served…
-
7th April 2021 Basic Plant Care: Keep those indoor plants alive and thriving
Everybody has, unfortunately, managed to kill those “unkillable plants”. From a generic cactus to a monstera deliciosa, plant care can seem daunting and overly complex, but it really doesn’t have to be. With spring just around the corner, many plants are in their prime which makes it the perfect time to hone that green thumb….
-
7th April 2021 Incoming: The return of Reading and Leeds Festival
2021 sees the hopeful return of one of the UK’s favourite festivals, Reading and Leeds. After a fallow year in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Leeds Festival remains optimistic that Bramham Park will welcome back festival-goers once again after what has been a tough 12 months for the creative industry. 2020 was a bleak…
Leave a reply