After local youth Abdel (Abdel Ahmed Ghili) is beaten unconscious by police, a riot ensues on his estate during which a policeman loses his gun. The gun is found by Vinz (Vincent Cassel) who threatens he will kill a cop if Abdel dies.
This film was written, co-edited, and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, and championed by such folks as Jodie Foster (unusual but true). Powerfully done in black and white, it presents a slice of French life with a mix of race and class. In some ways the film (released in 1995) is prescient, because the class conflict was not well-known to Americans until after the 9/11 attacks.
In a way, it could be seen as a companion piece to "Kids", which came out about the same time. Though they deal with different issues and different cultures, both strongly express what it means to be a youth who is struggling.
This film was written, co-edited, and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz, and championed by such folks as Jodie Foster (unusual but true). Powerfully done in black and white, it presents a slice of French life with a mix of race and class. In some ways the film (released in 1995) is prescient, because the class conflict was not well-known to Americans until after the 9/11 attacks.
In a way, it could be seen as a companion piece to "Kids", which came out about the same time. Though they deal with different issues and different cultures, both strongly express what it means to be a youth who is struggling.