By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Jacques Audiard
Starring: Adel Bencherif | Hichem Yacoubi | Jean-Philippe Ricci | Niels Arstrup | Reda Kateb | Tahar Rahim
Original language title: Un Prophète
Country: france, italy
Year: 2010
Running time: 155
IMDB: Tahar Rahim, Niels Arstrup, Adel Bencherif, Hichem Yacoubi, Reda Kateb, Jean-Philippe Ricci
Bruce says: “After scoring big with his last two films, READ MY LIPS and THE BEAT THAT MY HEART SKIPPED, the buzz at Cannes this year was that Jacques Audiard’s A PROPHET would walk away with the top prize; instead Audiard had to settle for a not-so-shabby second place award. A PROPHET is not a bad film, but it did not resonate with me as I had hoped. It is more of a case that it not my cup of tea, first because I’m not a great fan of prison dramas and second because another prison film from the current year, HUNGER, still haunts me months after the viewing.
“Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) is a petty criminal who ends up in a prison that contains a microcosm of the underworld that lies beyond the prison walls. Outside he had no family, no job, no training. While Malik’s naïveté is obvious to most of the inmates Cesar (Niels Arestrup), a hard-boiled Corsican mob boss senses that Malik has potential. A PHOPHET is the story of an apprenticeship that creates a monster; there is no evidence of a prison system that rehabilitates any of its inmates.
“The prison is segregated socially and inmates pretty much stick to those of their own kind: Arabs with Arab; Corsicans with Corsican; and French with French. Cesar call the shots in the prison. Breaking the segregation barriers, he arranges to have Malik moved to the cell next to his so Malik can become his porter, an obvious euphemism for ‘slave.’ After earning trust, Malik is handpicked by Cesar to kill Reyeb (Hichem Yacoubi) a fellow inmate. Malik learns to read and write and learns Corsican so he can become familiar with the workings of the mob. He becomes friends with Ryad (Adel Bencherif), an inmate who gets paroled early. When Malik is finally granted day leaves, he masterminds a big drug deal. His career is just beginning.
“Much screen time is taken up as we learn about the internal physical and social mechanisms of prison life. There is little depth to most of the characters. The plot is focused on the criminal education of Malik who, to everyone’s surprise, becomes a major player. There is not one character with a redeeming quality and after a while I ceased to care. I’ve read reports of how A PROPHET is an indictment of the French prison system. I did not get anything of the sort out of the film. I did see a rather suspenseful film that was reasonably well acted, quite thin on plot and lacking in soul. A PHROPHET won top awards at the recent London Film Festival, so it is clear that not everyone agrees with my point of view. 3 1/2 cats
(A PROPHET screened at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival.)”
Chris says: “One supposes that the ideal purpose of going to prison is rehabilitation. Malik (Tahar Rahim), the young Arabic protagonist of Jacques Audiard’s meditative, sometimes mesmerizing prison drama certainly betters himself during a six-year stint serving time for a crime never alluded to, although it would be a stretch to say he’s rehabilitated to a morally good end. Early on during his sentence, he’s immediately chosen as a pawn by fellow inmate Cesar (Niels Arustrup), an older Corsican crime boss. He offers Malik ‘protection’ in exchange for a horrific favor but basically threatens him into it. Malik deals with the guilt of this deed and his subservience to Cesar while slowly ascending through the prison’s hierarchy. He eventually gains power via some illicit side business at odds with Cesar’s interests.
“Tempering a no-nonsense, documentary-like style with occasional scenes of magic realism and lyrical uplift, Audiard’s film remains engrossing and well-paced throughout its 150+ minute run. Rahim and Arustrup are both excellent as, respectively, a young petty thief often in way over his head and the wizened but volatile monstrous figure passive-aggressively molding his protege. Unfortunately, for all of Audiard’s assured direction, something key is missing at the end. We’re left wondering what exactly Malik has taken away from his prison term, and whether he is worthy of his fate. I wanted to appreciate this ambiguity Audiard leaves us with, but I also wanted to know whether he thought prison had an altogether helpful or hurtful effect on Malik’s life. Given a week to mull over this, I’m still not certain. 3 1/2 cats”
Bruce responds: “In France this film was received as an exposé of the prison system. There is no doubt that the film is well made and riveting; however I felt that there was an underlying glorification of gangsterism, not an uncommon problem with many films about the underbelly of society.”
Thom says: “After winning the Grand Prize of the Jury at Cannes, the BAFTA Best Foreign Film, César Award for Best Film, London Critics Circle Award Film of the Year, London Film Festival Best Film, National Board of Review Best Foreign Language Film, as well as the Prix Louis Delluc & Étoiles d’Or, and reading Bruce & Chris’ reviews on the Chlotrudis website I approached this film with caution ((I’m usually dubious of multi-award winning films (it’s the rebel in me LOL) & the Chlotrudis reviewers were somewhat critical)). Delightfully I was overwhelmed with this great cautionary tale. A young Arab man (Malik) is sent to Brécourt prison for a 6-year sentence. The French penitentiary is largely divided up into Corsican & Arab inmates. The head of the Corsican contingent takes Malik under his wing, using him for all sorts of nefarious tasks & because the young prisoner doesn’t see any way out he complies with the heinous Corsican’s demands. At first poor Malik is then hated by both groups but he slowly does make friends and when he begins to get day passes he starts plotting to become a crime force to be reckoned with. I was highly impressed with the sincere, committed acting performances. One particular side issue had me baffled. I’ve been told the film is an expose of the French prison system. If so horrible why do the prisoners get passes from the jail, have television and music sets-up in their cells, have prostitutes visit the jail for sexual gratification, etc.? I recall in CATCH ME IF YOU CAN being told that the French had the world’s worst jails; my how times have changed. Ever since loving ‘OZ’ I have been a fan of prison films and this is one of the best. 5 cats