Interview: Tahar Rahim
Tahar Rahim in A Prophet
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Sunday, 10, Jan 2010 10:27
By Matthew Champion.
A virtual unknown outside of his native France before last year, Tahar Rahim has the world at his feet at the age of 28 after a critically-acclaimed breakthrough performance in A Prophet.
The Jacques Audiard-directed movie won the Grand prix at last year's Cannes festival, and was named best film at the London film festival in October, leading to the suggestion it will find itself among the best foreign film nominees for this year's Academy awards.
Review: A Prophet
In a Prophet, Rahim plays Malik El Djebena, a vulnerable new inmate at a French prison under the effective control of a Corsican crimelord also incarcerated there. Malik surprises even himself however with his capacity to learn and better himself while in prison, culminating in a violent struggle for influence in the prison and beyond.
inthenews.co.uk spoke with Rahim in London ahead of the film's UK release on January 22nd.
What do you think the secret to the film's success has been?
I don't really know but I think it's the humanity of the movie and the fact that it's a jail movie and a jail movie could talk to every person thanks to its code. Jail exists everywhere.
The movie has been described as the French Godfather set in prison. Do you think that is a fair comment to make about it?
No but I can't tell you why. I'm very honoured by the comparison.
Can you put A Prophet into one specific genre?
It's like a jail movie, so jail movie genre, gangster movie genre, but it also pushes boundaries by introducing different genres inside the movie.
Much of the praise for the film has been reserved for your own performance. Do you find that difficult to deal with?
Yes, in a way because it is difficult to inherit some things, some comparisons, some work, because sometimes I think it's too much.
You must be very proud of your performance?
I'm proud of the movie; I'm proud of having been chosen for this movie; I'm proud to have worked with Jacques and the whole team.
How did you prepare for a role one that demanded so much of you?
Physically I knew this was going to be hard, but I knew I'd get back to sport. I ate very well, I had more energy. For the character, I saw movies, documentaries, photos - this was all important, it helped me for the second part of the movie.
I learnt in the past to work differently a lot of discussion around the character and the way he acts in the situation and why. The way he walks, the way he talks, why? He says this because he doesn't have a lot of vocabulary, things like that. Thanks to the actors and the direction of Jacques, step by step you get further up every day.
How much of the movie is improvised?
What is improvising first of all? You never know what it is. For me, improvising in this movie was about having a lot of freedom. If you don't show the character, the script and purpose of the scene can go missing so it's very hard. But no Malik needs the surprise and Jacques surprised you. You go there and the director says 'I want you to go there, but now if you want to go running or crawling or walking, do what you want but I want to believe it'.
How much of Malik's own character can you empathise with?
I think because first of all he's a victim and you can see he wants to get out of this trouble and this misery and everything. But everybody's pushing him in society. I mean he goes to the jail administration and they try to kill him because they are corrupted and no one else in the jail wants him. So, he is alone and he is forced to do the time and he doesn't have the choice. And you see that so you can understand the character at the beginning.
And after the story, you understand that he is clever so he is going to use this as his best weapon. And you realise he is not a real criminal. He kills only when his life is in danger. Otherwise, he is just a delinquent not a criminal. He doesn't like blood. He doesn't like criminals. He finds them stupid but he is in this society and you have to live, survive and then live, and then you get the power. And at the end, you find out his real purpose: find a home, a family.
What was your own upbringing like?
I have been well-educated by my mother in respect. My mother always told me to be straight and respect people and then to do what you want.
Is there a political statement to be found within the movie?
It's just a fictional story about this guy in a jail movie. You can see it in the movie, it doesn't denounce everything; just adds some reality to feed the fiction. So no, it is not a political movie.
Is the message of the film you can't escape who you are, or that it is never too late to better yourself?
This is the irony of the movie; that he is lucky to be in jail. Without jail, he wouldn't have this life. But I think if there is a message for me it would be to use your brain rather than your muscles, wherever you are.
Do you think the title of this movie is misleading?
It could be. Jacques is not so proud of this title because it is an announcement of a new character, a new gangster or a new hero. And because A Prophet is someone who is carrying a message and the message is this one, it's also his gangster name. For me, I'd say he's carrying a message for himself.
Do you have any hopes for this year's Oscars?
No I don't think for myself. But the movie, I don't know. I'd just like to see the Oscar ceremony but it's not the most important thing. We've done that already.
What's next for you?
My ambition is to have different experiences that could make me a better actor. I want to move in a different kind of movie when you talk about ambition. And dreams - I'd like to find an experience as good as this one.
A Prophet is out in UK cinemas on January 22nd