Un Prophète
12/12/15 Filed in: Amazon Prime
Having watched all the French DVDs that I recently bought I'm now finding films for streaming on Amazon Prime. The latest was 'A Prophet' a crime thriller based around a French prison where a Corsican gang leader, César, and his henchmen effectively run the place.
A young Arab prisoner, Malik, arrives and is quickly picked out by César as a useful asset. To gain César's protection, which is worth having in what is a very dangerous environment, he must do a 'little job' for him - kill another inmate. From this point on he becomes César's property, while being haunted by his victim.
This film has a very realistic feel about it. It won the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix in 2009 and Best Film at the London Film Festival in the same year.
As the plot develops Malik starts to undertake more jobs for César during his 'good behaviour' release days, these having been expedited as a result of César's influence. But Malik is far from stupid, and he starts to develop his own interests. Meanwhile César's influence is threatened when a number of the Corsicans are returned to Corsica, reducing his muscle, while a growing Muslim contingent in the prison is seen as a threat.
A young Arab prisoner, Malik, arrives and is quickly picked out by César as a useful asset. To gain César's protection, which is worth having in what is a very dangerous environment, he must do a 'little job' for him - kill another inmate. From this point on he becomes César's property, while being haunted by his victim.
This film has a very realistic feel about it. It won the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix in 2009 and Best Film at the London Film Festival in the same year.
As the plot develops Malik starts to undertake more jobs for César during his 'good behaviour' release days, these having been expedited as a result of César's influence. But Malik is far from stupid, and he starts to develop his own interests. Meanwhile César's influence is threatened when a number of the Corsicans are returned to Corsica, reducing his muscle, while a growing Muslim contingent in the prison is seen as a threat.
The final job that Malik undertakes for César, a bold assassination while he's on a day's release, turns out to be the César's nemesis, a fact that Malik seems to have anticipated. The dogsbody suddenly becomes the top dog!
This film is a wonderful character study and brilliantly filmed, while the outcomes are far from certain as the story unfolds.
The French is difficult, which one would expect between prisoners, but every little bit helps when you're trying to improve your 'French ears'! There are, of course, subtitles.
This film is a wonderful character study and brilliantly filmed, while the outcomes are far from certain as the story unfolds.
The French is difficult, which one would expect between prisoners, but every little bit helps when you're trying to improve your 'French ears'! There are, of course, subtitles.