Buy A Prophet on DVD

A Prophet

Sony / Year: 2009

DVD More Info Close Caption: Yes Region Code: 1 UPC: 043396343566 Catalog #: DV3089082 Languages: French Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary), Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, English subtitles, French subtitles, Portuguese subtitles, Spanish subtitles	Usually ships in 5-10 days	$13.99 (6% off) List Price: $14.99
Blu-ray More Info Close Caption: Yes Region Code: 1 UPC: 043396355989 Catalog #: DB3089083 Languages: French Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary), Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, English subtitles, French subtitles, Portuguese subtitles, Spanish subtitles	Usually ships in 5-10 days	$19.99

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Synopsis

Jacques Audiard's A Prophet follows Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim), a part Arab, part Corsican who cannot read or write. Condemned to prison for six years, he appears younger and more fragile than the other convicts. He is 19 years old and entirely alone. Cornered by the leader of the Corsican gang currently ruling the prison, he is given a number of “missions” to carry out, toughening him up and gaining the gang leader’s confidence in the process. Malik is a fast learner and rises up the prison ranks, all the while secretly devising his own plans.

3 Reasons To buy this film

A Prophet has been praised by critics - who have compared it to Goodfellas and The Godfather. It currently holds a 97% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes and, in a poll by indieWIRE magazine, sixteen critics rated it the best film at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.
The film won in nine different categories at the 2010 César Awards in France and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2010 Academy Awards.
Director Jacques Audiard has made some of the grittiest and most thrilling French films of the past two decades - See How They Fall, A Self Made Hero, Read My Lips, and the highly acclaimed crime thriller The Beat That My Heart Skipped.

Product Format Information

DVD : $13.99

Availability: Usually ships in
5-10 days
Close Caption: Yes
Region Code: 1
UPC: 043396343566
Catalog #: DV3089082

Studio : Sony

Languages: French Dolby Digital 5.1 (Primary) , Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1 , Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 , English Subtitles , French Subtitles , Portuguese Subtitles , Spanish Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85
Extras: Deleted Scenes
Features:
Audio commentary: with director Jacques Audiard, actor Tahar Rahim and co-writer Thomas Bidegain.
Bonus footage: Tahar Rahim's screen tests.
Behind-the-scenes footage: Tahar Rahim & Gilles Cohen's rehearsal footage.

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Blu-ray : $19.99

Availability: Usually ships in
5-10 days
Close Caption: Yes
Region Code: 1
UPC: 043396355989
Catalog #: DB3089083

Studio : Sony

Languages: French DTS-HD 5.1 (Primary) , German DTS-HD 5.1 , English Subtitles , French Subtitles , German Subtitles , Turkish Subtitles
Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85
Extras: Trailers
Features:
Audio commentary: with director Jacques Audiard, actor Tahar Rahim and co-writer Thomas Bidegain.
Bonus footage: Tahar Rahim's screen tests.
Behind-the-scenes footage: Tahar Rahim & Gilles Cohen's rehearsal footage.

Keywords

Crime / Criminal / Thug Life, Drama, Gang, Gangster, Mafia, Prison / Jail

Genres

Art House/Indie, Drama, Gay/Lesbian, International

Customer Reviews

Crime as a Metaphor

Amos Lassen wrote on 07/15/2010:

"A Prophet"

Crime as a Metaphor

Amos Lassen

Nineteen year old Franco-Arab Malik El Djebena is beginning a prison sentence of six years in Brecourt, France. He had been in and out of detention centers as a child but this is his first time in an adult prison. Behind the walls, the inmates are divided into Corsicans and Muslims and Malik has no friends or enemies there. He just wants to finish his sentence in peace and quiet even though he has no idea of what he will do once released. The head of the Corsicans, Cesar Luciani brings Malik into the Corsican fold and Malik has no idea what to do except to cooperate. Most of the Corsicans see him as a dirty Arab and the Muslims regard him as a traitor.
The key to film is one of the most brutal murders seen on film and it leaves the murderer shaking. We learn that Malik was not evil from birth but s shy and passive loser all of his life. He became what he became because of a life in prison. He is insecure and we are never sure why he is in prison and even though he claims that he is innocent, it really does not matter to the plot. When Malik is told to kill another prisoner, he messes it up but he becomes what is known as a survivor who will do whatever necessary to stay alive. Slowly Malik is transformed in prison due to Luciani's tutelage and this is his coming-of-age story which is sad, bleak and with no remorse.
We never know what goes on in Malik's head and we only know him by what he does. Played by Tahar Rahim, he is an enigma to us. He has been molded by Luciani ( Niels Arestrup) and he reveals nothing. This makes him a fascinating character.
The film is reminiscent of "The Godfather" but behind bars. Here a young Arab (similar to Michael Corleone) rises from innocence to corruption and the film is absolutely riveting as it looks at the inmate hierarchy and the gangland sage of the loss of innocence. Nominated for the Academy Award this year, this is a study of a guy you will not likely forget soon.
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