The Quarantine Stream: ‘La Haine’ is a Racially Charged Classic More Relevant Now Than Ever
Posted on Sunday, May 31st, 2020 by Hoai-Tran Bui
(Welcome to The Quarantine Stream, a new series where the /Film team shares what they’ve been watching while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.)
The Movie: La Haine
Where You Can Stream It: Kanopy
The Pitch: A a trio of friends wander aimlessly through the French suburbs, distracting themselves from the cycles of poverty and discrimation that entrap them by debating their favorite movies and posturing as Robert de Niro-inspired gangsters.
Why It’s Essential Quarantine Viewing: There are so many restless, rebellious movies of the ‘90s that try to speak to the Gen X frustration with societal norms, but La Haine is the best of all of them. At times meandering and philosophical, at other times downright brutal, La Haine is rooted in the racial and class tensions of 1995 France. Anchored by magnetic performances by Vincent Cassel, Saïd Taghmaoui and Hubert Koundé and thoughtful direction by Mathieu Kassovitz, the central trio’s performative fantasies collide with reality as they come face-to-face with police brutality and gang violence.
