what is serreau saying in this movie?
Is this a film against men?
About class divisions?
Race?
how does it compare to La Haine for example? (if at all?)
I think not so much against men, but rather against establishment values that are based on class distinctions and are evidenced in the subtle and not-so-subtle ways that we deal with opposite sexes, different races, different socio-economic classes, etc. We live in a very class-driven society (all over the world!) whether we like it or not. Money, race, sex and status all come into play in everybody's lives. We are all jealous of anybody who is richer than us, more beautiful than us, lives in a nicer house than us, has an easier job than we do, has more food than we do, gets laid more than us, etc.
It's all about class divisions, and the hatred and jealousies that it inspires. The Communists tried to stamp out class, but they failed miserably. The Communist system was rife with elitist priveleged-class mentality, and the abuses that it entails. Stupid effin' commies.
Just look at North Korea. Everybody in that God-forsaken country is nearly starving except for the inner circle of elitist communitst apparatchiki who inhabit the capital and suck up to the ass hole of that weird, twisted little dictator, Kim Il Sung. What a travesty. Beautiful country inhabited by a bunch of twisted little obedient robots. But they won't be offended by this because they aren't allowed to have the Internet over there, so they will never read this anyway.
But didnt you notice that all the men were crappy? Not one sympathetic one in the whole film... and all easily manipulated (regardless of their social status - from malika's rich old man; to helenes husband etc). I thought it was less about socio-economic divisions, more about womens solidarity (against men to some degree).
After all, Malika and Helene become great friends, although they are from complete opposite backgrounds, with the former - a poor arab-french young woman, and the latter - a middle-class, white, slightly older woman.
I got a feel that it was simply against injustice and the lack of communication between men and women - like when Helene lies to her mother in law, covering for her husband, and realises her son and his girl do the same thing to her.
And then when Malika goes home, and her brothers are not at all happy to see her. She bribes them to be able to get close to her sister, who was being sold into marriage (does that really happen in Algerian culture too??)
Yes, I believe the message is that the men are pigs!
shareWith some insider information, the director of this film being a femenist all her films have an overtone of Men being evil in a sense.
However, watching this film, to me shows a view of the situation of how other cultures are treated in France. I mean, any person who has a concern for others well beings is clearly good at heart while a lot of the people in the film generally treated Malika/Niemi with discontente. You look at the familly structure, her father tried to sell them off to Algerian men. Her mother was treated like crap. Her familly lived in reasonably small housing. The pimps treated her terribly. It wasn't a pleasant life. It seems that the french just watch on while the underbelly of society rots from within.
As seen when Helene and her husband are in the car as Malika gets beaten up.