Back again with another strange VHS collection review. Seeing as my last viewing experience with the film Black Rain was so exhilarating I decided to venture back again into the depths of our VHS collection to find yet another hidden gem. This film in particular caught my eye because while I had heard of the French director Mathieu Kassovitz (specifically for his acting role in the film Amelie, 2001) I found it strange that the written title on the VHS was written in English and translated to Hate. This odd observation led to the interesting discovery that while this film was indeed a French film, the title was only translated to the English title Hate as supposed to La Haine (MV 9221) exclusively for the VHS release of the film. So having that said you can be assured that if you sign out this film from our Media Library you will be holding a type of collector’s edition version of this masterful film.

This film is completely in black and white yet it has a striking power that most modern films in color lack. The organic intensity of the acting and the way the sequences are put together by Kassovitz are truly impressive and will leave you glued to the edge of your seat throughout the film. This film was received incredibly well, winning the award for best director from both the Cannes Film Festival and The Lumiere Awards in 1995, along with more Cesar Awards including best film, and best editing.

Through the trajectory of the film the audience follows three young men living in the outskirts of Paris in the mid 90’s, they travel the city a day after a massive riot had erupted in which one of their close friends was shot by riot police. The tensions portrayed as the boys struggle to find news about their friend while also having several run ins with police continually grows through the entirety of the film finally arriving at a climactic ending in which the line “La haine attire la haine” which translates to “hatred breeds hatred” summarizes the overarching theme of this film with one last powerful blow. The film is artistic and youthful, full of risk and exceptionally executed. If you are a fan of the earlier work of Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu, such as Amores Perros 2000 or earlier films from Antonio Serrano such as Sexo, Pudor, y Lagrimas 1999, I can guarantee you will love this film.

Post by Special Projects Student Assistant Cesar Velasco