How Mathieu Kassovitz’s “La Haine” reveals a darker side of Paris
By Miguel Suzon
Staff Writer
Many consider Paris the city of love, but is it really?
Movies, TV shows and even tourism ads have done their job popularizing this façade but never really consider what’s under those velvet curtains. Through the film lens, Mathieu Kassovitz’s “La Haine” covers a side of the city that many don’t wish to speak about. A shocking story of what it’s like to live through a society under systemic oppression, police brutality and the feeling of being cast aside by a failing political system.
We follow the story of three friends: Vinz, Saïd and Hubert in a riot-torn Parisian suburb as they wait for news of their recovering friend after being brutally beaten in police custody. The film’s setting of a deprived suburb really holds true to its messaging and themes. By showcasing tall and isolated concrete buildings with the occasional graffiti and cracks upon the walls, it gives this dystopian feel of a place that has long lost its sense of order. Patrolling cop cars and violence ensued by its citizens following the riots against authority really tells us the kind of environment our characters live in and how it reflects the modern world. Accompanied by a gritty black and white filter, Mathieu Kassovitz tries to tell us about the reality of the other side. The struggles of a Parisian in the streets and how confining it can be in this concrete jungle show its immensely flawed political system. A silent message that speaks about how law enforcement does not correct violence but initiates a cycle of hatred that could never possibly cease.
But it’s not a question about where they are but who they are. Mathieu created these three protagonists to represent the product of this faulty system. A set of characters that share the values of the Parisian victims in these deprived suburbs. Vinz is the voice of fury, a character that wants action against the injustice that has unfolded in front of him without thinking for even a split second. Hubert is the voice of reason, a character who wants to escape from the streets and lead another life from the confinement of this cell. The opposing voices of these two create a dynamic contradiction that can be seen throughout the film. One wants to be free without any violence whilst the other sees violence as a means of action, representing the paths a man could take. Saïd, on the other hand, focuses on balance, serving as a mediator, and usually holds a neutral position between them.
We always depict Paris as a lavish and beautiful city, but such a statement is only further from the truth. Paris hides itself with a ceramic mask to cover the poverty and corruption that plagues its people. “La Haine” covers how it feels to live in a place where the system controls, a place where the system is against you.
“La haine attire la haine”
-Hubert