It’s the day after the riots and Siad is first to appear. The younger of the three Said is very much under the protection of his two best friends, Hubert and Said almost communicate with each other through light-hearted banter with Said. He is almost a conduit for what is happening on the estate and between Vinz and Hubert.
He seems more at ease and more adapted to his surroundings. Said, seems to “bounce off” Vinz and. Said has no family that we are aware of. His mother is resigned to her family’s lot in life and limits talk of a better life. He lives with his mother and at least one sibling. He expresses, in a variety of ways throughout the film, his desire to break out of the vicious circle he finds himself in. We learn he has served his country as a marine, has a good understanding of the system and the sources of the oppression he faces on a daily basis. A small time hash dealer, he has an innate feel for “the street”. The guiding light attempts to steer Vinz away from harm. He understands discipline and when to keep his mouth shut. Hubert, an amateur boxer, on the other hand, seems altogether more worldly and reflective. Craving the respect of his peers and apparently willing to go the extra mile in order to be worshipped as an urban folk hero. He attempts to relax by smoking dope and spinning the decks to the sounds of Hip Hop. He appears devoid of purpose and direction and lacking in self-esteem. Vinz the anti-hero, is an angry, embittered man, living with his mother and siblings. Vinz vows that if Abdel dies he will kill a policeman. We soon learn that a policeman has lost, or had his gun stolen, and that the firearm is now in Vinz’s possession. Abdel is comatose and in a critical condition at a local hospital. A riot triggered by police brutality against a friend (Abdel) and fellow resident of their estate. We are introduced to the three main characters in the aftermath of a riot. Eventually the petrol bomb hits the ground and bursts into flames, This scene is revisited at the end of the film. This image is accompanied by a voice over of a man, telling a joke about a man falling from a skyscraper repeating the words, “So far so good, so far so good, so far so good….”. The film opens with the shot (behind the credits) of a molotov cocktail in free fall.
Vinz is jewish, Hubert, black and Said, arab.The three protagonists live in a banlinue of Paris. In brief, this film is about an approximate 20 hour period in the life of three friends from different ethnic backgrounds, living in close proximity of each other. Written, directed and starring Matheiu Kassowitz. La Haine ( translated to hate in English ) 1995.
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