Un prophète (A Prophet)

Imagine the Godfather trilogy set almost entirely in a prison in France. You now have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Un prophète, both in substance and tonality. This visceral epic depicts the harsh realities of both prison life and the painful truth of being involved in the mafia, whether within or beyond the prison walls. With no holds barred, Un prophète takes the viewer on the journey of one man’s gripping confrontation with life behind bars and the burdens he must bear simply in order to stay alive.

Jacques Audiard (The Beat That My Heart Skipped) directs this ambitious film about an Arab named Malik El Djebena, who is thrown into prison for six years for something he claims he didn’t do. Six years in this prison is an eternity, one that many may not live to see. Djebena catches the eye of who might as well be the Don Vito Corleone of the prison, the inmate who essentially controls the entire institution, guards and all, whose past remains clouded and whose appearance resembles Brando himself in a way. Through one task after another, the prison eventually grants Djebena days of freedom, twelve hours outside the walls of the prison, during which he begins to make ties of his own, ties which will grant him possibilities he never dreamed of, lending credibility, in one scene, to what seem to be prophetic abilities.

Audiard crafts a brilliant, jarring film, and what might as well be a course in storytelling. Much conventional work is incorporated, but some aspects defy convention, including, at times, some engrossing cinematography. Audiard also collaborated on the script (replete with that beguiling quality so characteristic of the French tongue), and it shows, as the level of control seems evident throughout the film. Should a sequel be in order, one can only hope it resembles the intensity and mastery of this one.

Newcomer Tahar Rahim is Djebena in a riveting performance, and his counterpart, Niels Arestrup, plays the Don, César Luciani, with compelling honesty, in what may be his magnum opus. The casting is spot on all around, and the performances all up to the task. In fact, there are no weak links in the acting chain here, as all the roles are played extremely well.

Raw, unflinching, and powerful, this film is an absorbing encounter, a veritable Godfather for a new generation (a fact of which it is not unaware – at one point, Djebena is told he is the godfather of someone’s newborn son), and an instant classic. One of the best films of the year, it is a triumph, a must see for anyone capable of withstanding the film’s nearly three hours of unadulterated brutality.  A film worthy of recognition, Un prophète deserves to be seen again and again and again.

Rating: 4/4 Stars