Set against the backdrop of a real-life incident of police brutality in the 18th arrondissement of Paris in 1993, the film chronicles a day in the life of the three protagonists-Jewish, Arab, and African-in Paris in an almost documentary style, revealing the poverty, discrimination, and oppression faced by the youth at the bottom of the social ladder, and showing the audience the cruelty of the society and the reality of the helplessness.
The film was shot in color but was washed down to black and white through post-production.
1995 / France / Drama Crime / Matthew Cassowitz / Vincent Cassel Haber Condé
The movie is based on a real-life incident of police brutality that took place in the 18th arrondissement of Paris in 1993: a police officer shot and killed a 17-year-old Zairean teenager, Makomé M’Bowolé, while on patrol.
And in the middle of the movie, a group of anti-government youths on the streets of Paris.
The dispute starts when one of them is beaten and seriously injured by a policeman, and the crowd holds a grudge.
Vinz (Vincent Cassel) gets his hands on a real gun and is determined to return the favor.
Their hatred and anger is everywhere, and this massive clash with the police is on the verge of breaking out.
In the melee, Vinz was shot by the police, and his cohort trembled and aimed at the police head, the gunshot rang out …… whether it was the police or the street punks, everyone lost control.
No one is spared from this adolescent angst and restlessness, like uncontrolled rage.
Director Matthew Kasowitz won the Best Director Award in the Main Competition of the 48th Cannes Film Festival (1995).
