La Haine 4K UHD - Vincent Cassel

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Hate" )

directed by Mathieu Kassovitz
France 1995

When he was just twenty-nine years old, Mathieu Kassovitz took the international film world by storm with La haine (Hate), a gritty, unsettling, and visually explosive look at the racial and cultural volatility in modern-day France, specifically in the low-income banlieue districts on Paris’s outskirts. Aimlessly whiling away their days in the concrete environs of their dead-end suburbia, Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Hubert (Hubert Koundé), and Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui)—a Jew, an African, and an Arab—give human faces to France’s immigrant populations, their bristling resentment at their social marginalization slowly simmering until they reach a climactic boiling point. A work of tough beauty, La haine is a landmark of contemporary French cinema and a gripping reflection of its country’s ongoing identity crisis.

***

With ”La Haine”, director Mathieu Kassovitz illustrates the dichotomy, that exists between people from the projects outside of Paris and those from the outside. By society and topography seen as losers, there is little tolerance, acceptance nor understanding from either side, which leads to instant aggression, to hate, hence the title.

According to Kassovitz, who is a well educated middleclass Parisian Jew, this pattern of behavior can be found everywhere, in the US, the Germany, in the UK, hence, what he attempts to describe is a universal situation of a society on a self-destructive path. He illustrates this path of society by the story of a man falling down from a tall building; As he passes each floor, he says, “so far, so good”.

The approach Kassovitz takes is to illustrate the projects as a village, isolated from “society”, with its own laws. The “isolation” is a reaction against the attempt from the authorities to control the projects, so while it may seems strange, that the people will burn down, for instance, a gym, it is because it was financed by the authorities. The message is, we don’t need your help or hands down.

The story takes place over a day, where each “chapter” is marked by an intertitle clock. We follow the three friends, Vinz, Said and Hubert, their bumming around and their trip to Paris. There is little plot, but more a series of situation which illustrate the situation the film notes its motifs upon.

In order to film in the projects, Kassovitz, the production team and the actors, moved into the projects and lived there for three months prior to the shooting and during the three months of actual shooting, in order for those living there to get to know them. Many of the participants in the film are non actors. This gives the film a documentary feel, which is stressed by its black and white photography. Likewise, many of the situations in the film were written out of real events. As such, “La Haine” is fictionalized fact.

With the growing following of Le Pen in France, and the anti-Semitism and anti-immigration that follows, “La Haine” is still actual, and as long as society makes an active choice of making certain groups into outcasts, supported by official politics, then the situation will only get worse. Few films are as timeless and powerful as this.

Henrik Sylow

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Theatrical Release: May 27th, 1995 (Cannes Film Festival)

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Review: Criterion - Region FREE - 4K UHD

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Coming to the UK on 4K UHD in April 2025: Bonus Captures:
Distribution	Criterion Spine # 381 - Region FREE - 4K UHD
Runtime	1:38:13.846
Video	1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 79,020,816,490 bytes Feature: 75,851,379,456 bytes Video Bitrate: 83.69 Mbps Codec: HEVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate 4K Ultra HD:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio French 2026 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2026 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) DTS-HD Master Audio French 3056 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3056 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit) Commentary: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion 1.85:1 2160P 4K Ultra HD Disc Size: 79,020,816,490 bytes Feature: 75,851,379,456 bytes Video Bitrate: 83.69 Mbps Codec: HEVC Video Edition Details: 4K Ultra HD disc • English-language audio commentary by Kassovitz Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray • English-language audio commentary by Kassovitz • Video introduction by Jodie Foster • Ten Years of "La haine," a new documentary that brings together key cast and crew a decade after the film’s landmark release • Video featurette on the film’s banlieue setting, including interviews with sociologists Sophie Body-Gendrot, Jeffrey Fagan, and William Kornblum • Behind-the-scenes footage shot during the film’s production • Deleted and extended scenes, each featuring a new video afterword by Kassovitz • Stills gallery of behind-the-scenes photos • Theatrical trailers Liner notes essay by film scholar Ginette Vincendeau and an appreciation by acclaimed filmmaker Costa-Gavras 4K Ultra HD Release Date: April 2nd, 2024 Transparent 4K Ultra HD Case Chapters 206

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray and 4K UHD captures were taken directly from the respective discs.

ADDITION: Criterion 4K UHD (April 2024): Criterion have released Mathieu Kassovitz's "La Haine" to 4K UHD. It is cited as being from a "New 4K digital master, supervised by director of photography Pierre Aïm and approved by director Mathieu Kassovitz". We compared two DVDs and three Blu-rays of La Haine, HERE and to screen captures from them below. This package has "one 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features". The 2160P image quality advances over the already impressive 1080P editions, with some change in contrast, tightening of detail and grain visibility. It has sequences that look highly impressive on my system.

It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation.

NOTE: 38 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages recently: All Ladies Do It (software uniformly simulated HDR), Old Henry (software uniformly simulated HDR), To Die For (software uniformly simulated HDR), Snapshot (software uniformly simulated HDR), Phase IV (software uniformly simulated HDR), Burial Ground (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dark Water (software uniformly simulated HDR), Fear and Desire (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dr. Jekyll and the Werewolf (no HDR), Paths of Glory (software uniformly simulated HDR), Southern Comfort (software uniformly simulated HDR), Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (software uniformly simulated HDR,) The Wages of Fear (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Roaring Twenties (software uniformly simulated HDR), Universal Classic Monsters Limited Edition Collection (software uniformly simulated HDR), Scarlet Street (software uniformly simulated HDR), eXistenZ (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (software uniformly simulated HDR), Conan the Barbarian (software uniformly simulated HDR), Django (no HDR), Lone Star (software uniformly simulated HDR), Suspect Zero (software uniformly simulated HDR), Count Dracula (software uniformly simulated HDR), Full Circle - The Haunting of Julia (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Warriors (software uniformly simulated HDR), Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (software uniformly simulated HDR), Blackhat (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mark of the Devil (software uniformly simulated HDR), Barbarella (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Picture Show (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Man Who Knew Too Much (software uniformly simulated HDR), Rope (software uniformly simulated HDR), Frenzy (software uniformly simulated HDR), American Graffiti (software uniformly simulated HDR), East End Hustle (software uniformly simulated HDR), Three Days of the Condor (software uniformly simulated HDR), Witness (software uniformly simulated HDR), Fascination (software uniformly simulated HDR), Lips of Blood (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Others (no HDR), It Came From Outer Space (software uniformly simulated HDR).

On their 4K UHD, Criterion offer the option of DTS-HD Master tracks (24-bit) in either 5.1 surround of 2.0 channel stereo in the original French language. "La Haine" is filled with various types of aggression and unforgettable gun violence. It can punctuate scenes with a few surprising separations. The score is credited to the French hardcore rap group 'Assassin' often denouncing commercialism - one prominent song used is "Nique la Police" (translated as "Fuck the Police"). We get samplings of Bob Marley (Burnin' and Lootin'), Isaac Hayes (That Loving Feeling), Zapp and Roger Troutman's More Bounce to the Ounce with other music by Cut Killer, Takfarinas, The Gap Band, Ripple, Klay Mawungu, Solo, 3 songs by The Beastie Boys - there is music by Franz Schubert - Ellens, Gesang III (Ave Maria) and much more. Criterion include optional English subtitles on both region 'A'-locked Blu-ray and region FREE 4K UHD.

The 4K UHD disc and second disc Blu-ray has the previous 2006 commentary by director Kassovitz - described by Colin as: "... he pulls no punches and speaks quite frankly about the politics of the project, production details, people involved and the impetus for the film. He makes comments about the current state of France - with regard to a potentially fascist leaning government - speaking his displeasure as the voice of many French citizens. His accent is not harsh and his English is fully understandable. He remarks how he is a Criterion fan owning many of their LaserDiscs from years gone by. He seems proud to have his film produced by them...".

The rest of the extras are on the 2012 duplicate second disc Blu-ray described as: "Jodie Foster gives an articulate, heartfelt 15 minute introduction. She is wonderful to listen to - this is a highly intelligent person detailing why she got involved in the distribution of the film to the US. She gives a brief overview of the narrative from her personal standpoint... most notably a 1 1/2 hour documentary entitled Ten Years of "La haine". It pulls together some of the backstory details of the project with some archive news footage and vital comments. It is very well done and I really enjoyed watching it. There is much more including 4 deleted scenes and 4 extended scenes, a short featurette on the making of a scene and another on preparation for shooting. The supplements all have optional English subtitles."

Included also is a 24-page liner notes booklet with black and white photos. It contains an essay by film scholar Ginette Vincendeau - author of La Haine: French Film Guide (Ciné-File French Film Guides) - and a 2-page appreciation by acclaimed filmmaker Costa-Gavras (Z, Betrayed, State of Siege.)

Mathieu Kassovitz was awarded the Best Director prize at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival for "La Haine". The film is set in the "banlieue" - the economically-deprived suburbs of Paris that feature low-income housing projects (HLMs) and that are home to large immigrant populations. These are often labeled unsafe or "poverty traps." The film takes place on one fateful evening with an extensive wave of violence occurring. It is somewhat remarkable that director / writer Kassovitz and his three lead actors were all in their twenties when the film was made. Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Hubert (Hubert Koundé), and Saïd (Saïd Taghmaoui) are a representation of the economic division and the frustrations that arise between those feeling trapped by inequity and a two-tiered, racist, justice system. Their own culture of the deprived forms; music, clothing, slang etc. and we are exposed to its positive social development and universality. Criterion's 4K UHD release of "La Haine" has the important and lauded film looking amazing in the top tier 2160P format - endorsed by the filmmakers. Plus it has the commentary and other valued extras of the previous US edition. This is a brilliant film with a stellar presentation. Strongly recommended.

Gary Tooze

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