La Haine (1995)
Hate breeds hate.
Presentation:
Before cinema glorified gangsters as slick suit wearing mafiosos, they were often just two bit dropout punks. La Haine brings us back to reality with French youth dealing with police brutality and racism. This film thematically feels like Do the Right Thing, has the tone of American History X, the mood of Battle of the Algiers and with the characters of City of God. Basically we have a gritty black and white story following three homies in France. It’s an interesting choice to go monochrome in 1995, but its starkness adds to the mood. The punks yell for most of the film and I honestly felt annoyed by their bickering and degenerate behavior but that is the movie - and it overall adds to the nostalgic atmosphere.
Conclusion:
What this film does so well is make you feel part of their crew through thick and thin. When they argue, you feel properly represented as if you would act the same way. But this just shows that the performances are strong enough that we share their frustration. Despite any differences, by the end of the day we all stick up for our homies and the final subversion is one cinematic experience worth all the headache.
Recommendations
Hate breeds hate.