Ma 6-T va crack-er (1997)

Young people and their chances of creating a loving life.

Director:

Jean-François Richet

Writers:

Jean-François Richet (scenario), Arco Descat C. (scenario)

Stars:

Arco Descat C., Jean-Marie Robert, Malik Zeggou

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arco Descat C.	...	Arco
Jean-Marie Robert	...	J.M.
Malik Zeggou	...	Malik
Mustapha Ziad	...	Mustapha
Karim Rezeg
Hamouda Bouras	...	Hamouda
Peterasta	...	Pete
Rodrigue Alberto
Jean-François Richet	...	Djeff
Virginie Ledoyen	...	La fille au pistolet
Gilles Carballo	...	Le pion
Joanna Pavlis	...	Prof d'anglais
Brigitte Sy	...	Le proviseur
Emile Abossolo M'bo	...	Le prof de gym
Dominique Descat	...	La cité

Storyline

Young people and their chances of creating a loving life.

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Plot Keywords:

marxism | parisian suburb | number in title | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

2 July 1997 (France)

Also Known As:

Brennender Asphalt

Box Office

Budget:

FRF7,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Actes Proletariens, Canal+, TF1 International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Cold Showers (2005)

User Reviews

Fascinating look at (young male) life in the Paris Projects

After learning that some brave soul (fool?)was remaking Assault on Precinct 13, a seminal movie experience from my youth, I tracked down this earlier effort from Richet because he sounded like a fascinating director. There are some clear comparisons to be made in regard to this film and Le Haine, they share the same milieu and the focus is almost exclusively on the male protagonists. However, Ma 6-T feels more like a documentary at times, the style less obvious than that of Kassovitz. When the camera follows the players on a youth centre's basket ball court, the game deteriorates in to ugly gang violence and the viewer feels like an helpless spectator on the side lines, such is the ability of Richet's camera to draw us into the drama. This long take-the film is made up of a majority of these-is the kind of cinema that Andre Bazin would applaud, however he may have been less amoured to the occasional flourish, particularly during one scene where the circular motion of the camera feels more like an homage to DePalma. Richet clearly likes his characters (he his from the Paris projects)but unlike Le Haine there is more of them and thus they are less clearly defined, making it difficult to empathize with them. He does not give them any kind of arc, allowing for a more fly on the wall feel. This approach forces the viewer to consider their plight without having to fall for the winning charms of Vincent Cassel. Are they victims of society or just a bunch of losers? There is some suggestion that they are both, the few women portrayed in the film have jobs or are trying to better themselves, or more tellingly represent authority figures, like the female head teacher and police woman. The male characters just seem to complain about their lot without ever doing much about it, brilliantly conveyed during one scene by two of them pondering why they are sitting at a bus stop. Some of them talk of revolution but are more interested in their turf wars between rival project gangs, rather than joining together for a real class war. A riot seems to be the only possible conclusion but the film is bookended by the images of a women and a girl, presumably her daughter, raising arms. Is the future in the arms of the women? Perhaps so, because regardless of the obvious intelligence of the male characters, they are all oozing too much testosterone to care too much about the future and seem to enjoy a pretty vacant and violent now. This film gives me hope for the forthcomimg remake of Assault on Precincr 13, lets hope that Richet can apply as much intelligence to the remake as he did to this engrossing sophomore effort.