A Prophet (2009)

Set in a French prison, the central character Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim) undergoes a process of self-discovery. Malik, born in France to Arab parents, is sentenced to six years for an assault on policemen. He soon becomes the servant of a sadistic Corsican gangster, César Luciani (Niels Arestrup), who virtually runs the jail. Divisions exist between the Corsicans who run the prison, and the Muslim inmates. César gives Malik an ultimatum; killing Reyeb, a gay Arab who’s shortly to give evidence in a mob trial, or be killed himself. The corrupt authorities won’t help him, since César controls them. Malik relents, befriends and kills Reyeb. His first prison initiation complete, Malik becomes César’s eyes and ears whilst secretly learning Italian and Corsican. Malik is given increasingly greater responsibilities. César manages to get Malik a day’s leave, to prepare him to take his place again in society but in fact used to run criminal errands. Unbeknown to Cesar, Malik has found other allies in and out of prison. Malik steadily leaves his mentors behind as he learns to play both sides against each other, manipulating racial tensions, becoming as ruthless and decisive as his enemies. However many prison cliches exist in the movie, Audiard’s forceful direction turns this prison-crime thriller into a thoughtful, brutally moving film. The ongoing physical and mental education of the initially illiterate and naive Malik is profoundly told, and Tahar Rahim is a revelation. Rahim’s moving portrayal illustrated the vulnerability and loneliness Malik felt throughout his incarceration. Niels Arestrup conversely mirrors Rahim’s performance with the same brutish subtlety, a hopeless, simmering realisation that his dominance may be on the wane. Not to mention an unparalleled sequence involving a razor blade which you are unlikely to forget, the best film of the year.

0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes | No