A Prophet [Un Prophète] (Audiard, 2009)

[madali]

A Prophet [Un prophète] (Audiard, 2009)
IMDB Link

There are several layers in this film.

The Surface Layer: “Scarface” for Arabs. A young French-Arab teenager goes to prison and has been imprisoned for three years. He is uneducated and has no family or friends. In jail, he is quickly bullied by a white clan to murder another Arab. He does it, out of fear for his own safety. As the movie progresses, he understands the system, educates himself, befriends others, and slowly rises to the top. An average prison film and entertaining.

The Second Layer: The film seems to tell us that behind this mainstream presentation is a message to the young Muslim Arabs. Stop being bullied by the west, get educated, be strong, be brave, and start your jihad and be on top.

The Third Layer: You are allowed to do it in an unethical way, because the Muslim Prophet did the same. Verses from the Quran allude to a comparison. And the imprisoned youth finances the Muslims using dirty money (through drug trade) and did not Prophet Mohammad also use dirty money to finance his cause (through caravan raids initially). The cause justifies it.

The Fourth Layer: But are you sure? Prophet Mohammad did not fight against western oppressors. His was a battle against his own tribe and people initially. So you can’t use Prophet Mohammad’s life as an example of doing the same.

The Fifth Layer: You know what, this is all propaganda.

The Sixth Layer: But for which side and for what cause?

Look for these layers, because I have noticed most reviews, seem to have missed all of that. It is a film that is more than it seems to be, and either on purpose or accident, it is a film that different people can take different things from it.

Like religion.

4/5

[X.]

I liked A Prophet as a character-study and crime drama; but found the plot-centric narrative too contrived and designed to appeal to the masses.

My personal critical assessment of the film was that it is an extension of Robert Duvall's Tom Hagen character from The Godfather; the film being a "what-could-have-been-if-Tom-Hagen-went-to-prison scenario." The lead character's Machiavellian tactics and the "lawyer" nickname he earns in the film certainly is enough evidence to make this judgment.

I took the obvious religions allusions as a desperate attempt to inject artistry into a thinly-clad commercial film.

BUT then I spoke with Mad after the screening, and his brilliant analysis has convinced me that A Prophet has much more than what meets the eye...and that the religious metaphor is, on one level, straight-forward, but on deeper inspection, much more subversive.

[shariqq]

Prophet (Un Prophete)
Jacques Audiard | France | 2009
150 mins



Malik, a young Arab-French man lands in prison. We learn early on that he does not have a family, and he has been in a juvenile centre before. Before long, the Corsicans, who enforce their control within the prison, bring the raw and uncomplicated Malik under their “protection” in return for their dirty work. As time goes by, Malik uses his experience and intelligence to elevate his position and become his own boss. The movie delves into details of Malik’s prison-life over a six-year period, its brilliance being the scrutiny of the power-play within the prison-walls. As meticulous as a good game of chess, each clever scene leads to another smart scene. We see Malik grow wiser as the movie unfolds – thankfully without voice-over, narration or blurbs of text explaining what is happening. The movie also makes powerful use of race and religion to a great effect rarely seen in cinema. Prophet is easily one of the best of DIFF '09.

My rating --> 4 of 5

[shariqq]

Madali, I used my race&religion line before reading your review, thinking I should not spoil what should be discovered. But well..

Another layer - the race/religion you are born into doesn't matter. Use your own f*ckin' mind and get to where you want. Even if you eventually decide to be with 'your' people, it should be a conscious choice, not a default choice.

[ayaa1977]

This is a film I NEED to see.

[X.]

The film is, for the most part, safe from attacks from the low-culture conservative side because it assumes a very abstract strategy to address its religious themes -- this is to the director and writer's credit. On the most superficial level, it is simply a thriller about a young man who becomes a kingpin through the rigors of prison life. But, of course, A Prophet is about something else entirely...

[animatedude]

uh-huh..so he doesn't die? the whole ghost character is such a cliche.it turned out that character wasn't in the script anyway..the director admitted he added that later on.

i'm not complaining but what's up with the new french wave of crime movies that makes it to the international world? The Prophet,Mesrine,Carlos:The Jackal and The Baader Meinhof Complex.wait! most of these are set in the 70's too..

[fizz]

The Baader Meinhof Complex is German.

This is a great film!

[animatedude]

The Baader Meinhof Complex is German.

This is a great film!

but The Prophet,Mesrine,Carlos:The Jackal are french