A Prophet (Un Prophete): Behind the Prison Walls

The hidden secrets of a prison are known only to the people within its four walls. While there are rumours of what happens within the confines of a prison, the truth is probably never what is revealed to the general audience. But French filmmaker Jacques Audiard attempted to display the dark secrets of prison life in his 2009 film A Prophet.

Malik is a young adult sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for his crimes. It is the first time he will ever step behind bars and is unsure what to expect during his time there but he is immediately introduced to a dramatic world of gang wars and mafias. At first he abstains from the hooliganism, however circumstances force him to work for the Corsican gang who loathe the other clan, the Muslims. In spite of being a Muslim, Malik is forced to commit crimes against his brothers in religion, for whom he feels no affinity. He begins to carve his own existence, with the help of friends, in and outside the prison. Slowly as his tenure comes to a close, Malik gains power, ultimately winning the favour of the Corsican boss, the Muslims, the prison guards and a few others outside the prison walls. With the end of his imprisonment, he manages to turn over a new leaf thanks to his notorious life in the prison.

A Prophet was released in the year 2009 and was directed by Jacques Audiard who also contributed to the writing of the screenplay. The language of the film is French. It is a French film with the locations for the shoot being in France mostly, the cast and crew being French and the premise of the story being a particularly French topic with the involvement of Arabs, Algeria and French mobsters. However, the film has an international appeal overall.

The film deals with harsh realities and shows them in a graphic light. One particular scene has the protagonist attempting to commit a murder using a blade clenched between his teeth. Failing at the first attempt, he grabs the blade in his fingers and wrestles the man onto a bed. He finally manages to slice a vein in the man’s neck and bleeds him to death. The protagonist then calmly washes away the blood from his clothes and leaves the crime scene as though nothing happened. The pace of the film is quick except for scenes involving conversation and when the storyline evolves radically. The colour palette has dark shades and has plenty of use of shadows which brings the feeling of captivity out on the screen.

The acting in the film is worthy of praise. A stunning performance from the lead actor successfully portrays the harsh reality in a prison. The brilliant light work, for the indoor cinematography, also aids the scenario of deep, dark crime within the prison setting. In spite of being primarily located in a prison, the film ventures outdoors to follow the exploits of the protagonist. Within the setting of the prison, the lighting, cinematography and blatant sound effects maintains the genre of thriller-horror-drama which ensues through most of the film. Even while deviating from the depths of the prison and venturing into the daylight, the genre is maintained as the protagonist is constantly reminded of restrictions on his freedom. The use of makeup and props is also commendable since it has been successful in adding to the quality of the film.

With various levels of excitement and scenes of meaningful importance, A Prophet manages to keep the viewer guessing what could be the next move. The character of the protagonist suits the tone of the film - both are mysterious and constantly evolving.

The Departed: A symphony between the mafia and police

Everyone loves a good mafia story, especially if it is done well. For a mafia based film, this requires a well written script which is matched with a great representation on film. We have seen many good mafia stories in the past but quite often they fall short of hitting the benchmark of being truly spectacular. This may be due to the fact that most people automatically put a gangster-mafia film on a pedestal, when in actual fact, it needs to be made well to become one of the ‘greats’.

The Departed is a mafia based drama film which covers two sides of a coin by portraying the atmosphere in both camps; the cops and the gangsters. Frank Costello is the kingpin of the Irish Mafia in Boston. He is feared in the city and receives tribute from every small and big business which helps him keep his reputation intact and run his side business of drug peddling. He takes Colin Sullivan under his wing as a kid and trains him to be an important asset for him. Colin eventually graduates from the police academy and joins the Massachusetts State Police to become an informant to Frank about how the police are running their investigations which helps Frank stay away from their radar. On the other side of the tracks, Billy Costigan also attempts to join the Massachusetts State Police on graduating from policy academy. Unfortunately for him, his family history is riddled with the who’s who of the city’s mafia which is known to his commanders. He is given the option of becoming an undercover officer in the mafia to work as an informant for the police about the mafia’s plans. Frank and the police both become increasingly aware of informants in their ranks and both try to smoke them out. The situation becomes grave for Colin and Billy as both try to keep their cover while exposing the other.

The Departed is a great film directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay written by William Monahan. This film which was released in 2006 was based on a 2002 Hong Kong film called Infernal Affairs. The Departed is a gem of a film which shows all sides of the coin of law enforcement. It goes into depth for the three main characters and shows their development as the story progresses with the police informant getting unhinged, the mafia informant becoming increasingly paranoid and the head of the mafia being calm and collected. It shrouds the character of Madolyn in mystery, the psychiatrist who carries on relationships with both the informants while being unaware of who they really are until the end of the film.

The film has a certain sweet symphony to it, especially during the main action sequence which sees a standoff between the police and the mafia. It shows both the emotions and the mental state of the characters as they chase down each other being entirely unaware of who they are but the audience knowing their true identities. Every close call for the characters in the film is a skipped heartbeat for the audience. The title of the film comes from the death of a subsidiary character and in hindsight, there is a bittersweet way in which it ties to the end of the film.

Scorsese has also taken the opportunity to pay tribute and show his audience what influences and drives him. The multiple mentions of Sigmund Freud and his theories show that Scorsese has respect for his ideas and put them in the film. He has also used a quotation by John Lennon which shows his background and interest in music. This is also reflected in the background music which involves music from Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, and others. The music was selected in collaboration with a close friend of his, Robbie Robertson, a member of the band called The Band and the use of the song I’m Shipping Up to Boston by Dropkick Murphys features heavily in the film.

Scorsese brings impeccable style to all his films. Although he does not have a particular recurring style in every one of his films, each film has a unique identity to set it apart. The use of music to coincide with the events of the film and the edits to go along with the music are a part of Scorsese’s style and can be seen evidently in this film.

The Departed is one of Scorsese’s best works. It is a must watch film for lovers of mafia-themed films and those who enjoy good cinema.