We saw the show “La Haine” expected at Printemps in Montpellier: a musical comedy “master class”

“It’s the story of a man who falls from a 50-story building. The guy, as he falls, constantly repeats to himself to reassure himself: “So far so good… So far so good… So far so good.” But the important thing is not the fall. It’s the landing.” Unforgettable introduction than that of the film La Haine which in 1995 reserved the allegory of the fall heard thirty-five years earlier in the western The Seven Mercenaries, but better, but in black and white of anger, against the background of an image of the planet Earth on which a Molotov cocktail was bursting right at the moment of its conclusion. Maximum impact. Major success.

In the mid-1990s, Mathieu Kassovitz signed with his second feature film, perhaps the greatest French film of the decade; the one in any case who managed better than any other to say in substance as well as in form, the era. More than a cult film, a “ref”!

A political musical

Five years ago, noting that nothing had changed, or very little, Mathieu Kazzovitz wanted to revisit his magnum opus in the form of a musical. A crazy idea but not so absurd if we remember how political three of the standards of the genre are: West Side Story, Hair and Starmania. Produced by Farid Benlagha Le Hazif, La Haine – So far nothing has changed required three years of work to reach the level of requirements desired by its creator who is the artistic director and co-director with Serge Denoncourt, a Quebec star at ease in all forms of live performance.

Their booklet fairly faithfully follows the story of the film, which it sequences into around fifteen scenes, omitting none of its legendary scenes (including, of course, “Are you talking to me?”now in selfie mode) but offering new perspectives on its characters and above all extending the reflection that runs through it and works.

However, following a police blunder which left young Abdel between life and death, riots shook (and scorched a little) the Cité des Muguets, in the Paris suburbs. That morning, three friends meet at the foot of the building bars: there is Hubert, the renown boxer with a pacifist speech, Saïd, the funny and talkative rebel, and Vinz, the venerated feuj who never stops say that if Abdel dies, he will avenge him.

A very committed troop

Alivor, Samy Belkessa and Alexander Ferrario respectively reprise the roles immortalized by Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui and Vincent Cassel, and they are formidable in their freshness, talent and commitment. As in the film, we follow their wanderings for twenty-four hours, accompanied by an anxiety-inducing ticking clock. And as in the film, in their company, incident after episode, the atmosphere will slide from picturesque and disconcerting immersion towards terrible and chilling alienation.

Clean and stylized, the scenography is extremely effective: on stage, the actors move most of the time on a circular platform which hides an adjustable treadmill, while the digital sets designed by Silent Partner are projected in augmented reality. (the Montreal studio which manages, among other peccadilloes, the animation of the Sphere in Las Vegas!). A combination which, associated with the lights, allows Mathieu Kassovitz to dare on set, a number of effects characteristic of his punchy and groovy style: sequence shots, zooms in, superimpositions, fades, forward, side and even compensated tracking shots! It’s a treat, visually stunning, certainly cinematographically inspired but without being a beast of a replica.

La Haine – So Far Nothing Has Changed is a true musical comedy that neglects none of its ingredients. On the theater side, we savor in each scene, the dialogues concreted in the vernacular and shot in chat. Updated or new, the (countless) valves hit the nail on the head, like: “If Bardella comes by, I’ll get out of there… Do you have it? Do you have it? There’s a play on words!” On the hip-hop dance side, we are also well served by the choreographies signed Emilie Capel and Yaman Okur who here perfectly recreate the explosive spontaneity of circle vibes and organize rioter ballets of great beauty. We must also emphasize the investment of the entire troupe: it is amazing!

Remarkable songs

On the music side, finally, it is, as we say today, a “masterclass” under the direction of Proof. After the cheerful introductory piece, Vivre ensemble bringing together -M-, Angelique Kidjo, Djam, TiMoh, Chico & José (who can be seen in the windows of the building projected in the background), the elite of urban artists but not only offered songs performed perfectly on stage by the cast: Benjamin Epps, The Blaze, Oxmo Puccino, Clara Luciani, Jyeuhair…

Among the best pieces: The Hatred of a Filc by Youssoupha which, new, allows the reverse shot of police dereliction and The Dilemma, by Doria and Sofiane Pamart, which reconnects with the angry sensitivity – this regretted oxymoron – of Diam’s, adds accurately the female point of view which was missing from the film and is the subject of a clippesque tableau of dizzying grace.

And what can we say about the piece from Medina in the epilogue, this masterpiece within the masterpiece, because yes, La Haine is also in this fully reworked version, which punches the lines like few others, which said that “ODon’t open the door to living together with a choke key.” and who is not afraid to give his solution, don’t laugh, there is no other: Love.