The Quarantine Stream: ‘La Haine’ Is A Racially Charged Classic More Relevant Now Than Ever
(Welcome toThe Quarantine Stream, a new series where the /Film team shares what they’ve been watching while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.)The Movie:La HaineWhere You Can Stream It:KanopyThe Pitch:Aa trio of friends wander aimlessly through the French suburbs, distracting themselves from the cycles of poverty and discrimation that entrap themby debating their favorite movies and posturing as Robert de Niro-inspired gangsters.Why It’s Essential Quarantine Viewing:There are so many restless, rebellious movies of the ’90s that try to speak to the Gen X frustration with societal norms, butLa Haineis the best of all of them. At times meandering and philosophical, at other times downright brutal,La Haineis rooted in the racial and class tensions of 1995 France. Anchored by magnetic performances byVincent Cassel, Saïd TaghmaouiandHubertKoundéand thoughtful direction byMathieu Kassovitz, the central trio’sperformative fantasies collide with reality as they come face-to-face with police brutality and gang violence.
“Ever heard about the guy who fell off a skyscraper? On his way down past each floor, he keeps saying to reassure himself: So far so good… so far so good… so far so good. How you fall doesn’t matter. It’s how you land.”
Presented in a stark white-and-black palette and following 24 hours in the day of three young men from the impoverishedbanlieuesof Paris,La Haineis an unrelenting portrait of urban rage. But as much as the film seethes with anger and injustice, it also taps into the ennui that comes with the helplessness of poverty. The three friends — the angry Travis Bickle-wannabe, Vinz (Vincent Cassell,in his breakout role), the wise boxer and small-time drug dealer, Hubert (Hubert Koundé) and the gently timid Said (Saïd Taghmaoui) — wander aimlessly throughout the suburbs in the aftermath of a riot instigated by a shocking instance of police brutality.
La Haineis a simmering pot of tension and anger just waiting to come to a boil in the form of Cassell’s Vinz, who comes into possession of a gun and vows vengeance against the police. There’s no better depiction of the vicious cycle of social class and cruelty thanLa Haine, which feels as visceral today as it did 23 years ago.
Though it wears its inspiration from cinematic classics likeDo the Right ThingandTaxi Driveron its sleeves,La Haineis so much more than the sum of its parts. Released in 1995,Mathieu Kavitz’spotent crime drama takes place amidst social unrest and race riots spreading across France at the time. So it’s chilling just how relevantLa Haineremains today.
