By Isabelle Cialone, Guide Deputy Editor • March 12, 2025
Content warning: This article contains references to police brutality. Please refer to the end of the article for on- and off-campus resources.
“La haine attire la haine.” Hate breeds hate. Mathieu Kassovitz’s 1995 film “La Haine” depicts the unbroken cycle of hatred in a Paris banlieue (suburb) teeming with rage in the aftermath of a protest against police brutality. The subsequent riots left a young man, Abdel (Abdel Ahmed Ghili), hospitalized due to the police attacking him at the protest. The film spans a period of less than 24 hours and follows three of Abdel’s friends as tensions between police and civilians reach a boiling point, with hatred and fear growing ever more palpable.
“La Haine” explores how each main character expresses a similar sentiment of utter helplessness toward their endless oppression but reacts in vastly different ways. Vinz (Vincent Cassel) seeks retribution for his hospitalized friend, wielding a police-issued Smith & Wesson revolver, as he toys with the idea of taking action. Hubert (Hubert Koundé) longs to break free from the banlieue after the riots destroy his boxing gym, and he tries to steer both himself and Vinz away from unnecessary violence. Vinz’s violent outlook on life and Hubert’s rationality are balanced by the third friend, Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui), whose silly nature and attempts to mediate the group keep them united.
The performances from all three actors are incredible — each feels genuine, with the natural delivery of every line packed with emotion. The characters feel completely developed and full of life despite the constant danger they face, and the chemistry between the actors sells the film’s authenticity. As tension brews, you cannot help but be invested.
This tension is constant and slow-burning. The film is bookended by a quote about falling and assuring oneself by repeating the phrase “so far, so good, so far, so good” — but in the end, the landing is what matters, not the fall. This is echoed throughout the plot as increasingly violent episodes become normal and society turns a blind eye toward its self-destruction. In less than a day, these young men experience a lifetime of violence, making typically traumatic experiences commonplace for them. In a scene that ultimately leads to the climax, the tension between civilians and cops ends at a devastatingly striking encounter, which might be interpreted as the aforementioned landing.
Perhaps just as captivating as the story is the breathtaking cinematography. The entire film is in black and white, simultaneously amplifying the grittiness and beauty of Paris and its banlieues. Several scenes use particularly incredible camerawork — the iconic mirror scene in which Vinz references the film “Taxi Driver” and the scene where the camera flies across the city while a DJ plays a set stand out as scenes that will continue to stick with me long after watching the movie.
The sound design of the second scene epitomizes the film as a whole. The DJ mixes Edith Piaf’s iconic “Non, je ne regrette rien,” meaning “No, I do not regret anything,” and a version of KRS-One’s “Sound of Da Police” with the eponymous lyric dubbed over by the phrase “assassin de la police.” This blending of classical French music with a vehemently anti-police song perfectly encapsulates the film and the Paris it represents: a flawed and violent city beneath the picturesque postcard perfection we typically see. The music used throughout the film consists primarily of reggae, a genre frequently used for sociopolitical commentary, and French rap, an art form that flourished in Parisian banlieues.
Alongside the excellent music, the use of actual footage of protests and riots during the opening sequence grounds the entire film in reality. The characters may be fictional, but “La Haine” highlights and compiles real-life tragedies, giving their victims names to magnify the unending cycle of systemic oppression and police brutality.
The black-and-white cinematography should make the events of “La Haine” feel dated and unfamiliar — but the film is perhaps more relevant today than it was 30 years ago, as police brutality pervades the streets of both France and the United States. In addition to its powerful and important message, the beauty of “La Haine” anchors it as not just one of the greatest French films but one of the greatest films of all time and an absolute must-watch.
Resources: On-campus resources include Health Education Services (202-687-8949), Counseling and Psychiatric Services (202-687-6985) and the Center for Multicultural Equity and Access (202-687-4054); additional off-campus resources include Crisis Text Line (text 741741) and the District of Columbia ACLU (202-457-0800).
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