Netflix: cry of revolt from a forgotten youth, a punchy French film lands on the platform


Netflix regularly enriches its catalog of films that have become classics. Today, La Haine by Matthieu Kassovitz arrives on the platform.

In 1995, La Haine was released in cinemas and shook up the country. Its subject matter, actors, black and white, and cult scenes made it an instant classic. 27 years later, Matthieu Kassovitz’s film is still relevant.

The story of a forgotten generation

Abdel Ichah, sixteen, is between life and death, beaten by a police inspector during an interrogation. A riot opposes the young people of a housing estate to the police. For three of them, these hours will mark a turning point in their lives…

A generation of actors

On the poster of this film which has the effect of an uppercut, Matthieu Kassovitz surrounded himself with actors of choice to compose a trio of shock which marked an entire generation. Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui) and Hubert (Hubert Koundé) form this trio, friends of Abdel. One is Jewish and eager to avenge his friend from the police; the other is black, with a pacifist character and with desires elsewhere for a better life; and the third, from the Maghreb, tries to mediate between his two friends.

La Haine launched the careers of these actors who were in their twenties when the film was released. Vincent Cassel has established himself within French cinema as a safe bet, alternating the roles of complex, violent men and bad guys from Dobermann to On My Lips to My King.

Saïd Taghmaoui, for his part, quickly embraced an international career by filming in The Kings of the Desert, Lost and Wonder Woman. Although nominated for the César for best male hope for his role in La Haine, Hubert Koundé has a lackluster career. He goes on to secondary roles in film and television (The Constant Gardener, Braquo).

An ever-present film

The issue of police brutality and political disinterest in suburban youth remains unchanged to this day. 27 years later, the film has lost none of its power or relevance. And it is no coincidence that in 2020, La Haine was released in theaters for the 25th anniversary of the film.

In 2015, Matthieu Kassovitz was interviewed by Telerama for the 20th anniversary and returned to his motivations for making this film: “I didn’t make a film against the police, but against the police system. They should have ten years of training, the cops, before we give them a gun. They should be well paid, they should have livable premises. There is a huge suicide rate among them.

Those who join the police because they want to maintain order, in the noble sense of the term, realize very quickly that it doesn’t work like that. Between young people and the police, between young people and society, respect has been lost. If the politicians respected the suburbs, the suburbs would respect the politicians.

La Haine is now available on Netflix.



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