Film: A Prophet
This film seemed to be a "coming of age" film. Upon entering prison, Malik was indoctrinated to life behind bars. In his rise to maturity, Malik experiences the stages of being the grunt or lackey having to do the bidding of the ruling group of Corsicans. He must learn the politics of being in prison and how to navigate life inside...his life depends on it. Malik is confronted by the elder of the prison, Cesar, and told that he must kill another inmate or he himself will be killed. Malik wrestles with what must be done but ultimately completes the task. Upon completing this task he is welcomed into the prison "royal family". He has privileges, he is exposed to the politics from the inside and he becomes if you will, a trustee of sorts. Through these relationships Malik is able to acquire all the benefits a prison "favorite" can acquire. Malik develops a series of relationships on the inside of the prison and the outside which affords him the ability to earn money, develop a drug business and even, through a contract killing that was not done on purpose, of a very important criminal on the outside, Malik was able to position himself as a very important member of several criminal groups which were not only inside but also outside of prison. Through these series of events Malik ultimately positions himself as the top man in prison and was able to unseat Cesar from his proverbial throne.
Overall, the film reminded me of Al Pacino's rise in the Godfather only Malik was not already a family member but had to earn his respect as a member as well as leader. The dichotomy of Malik being Muslim and having to assimilate to the Corsicans which represent the protagonists in his life was nothing short of methodical. Learning the language he was able to maneuver between the Corsicans and the Muslims and ultimately gaining the ability to rise to power on the inside as well as the outside.
Cesar seemed to represent the old school way of doing things in prison. Malik, as he grew in knowledge, alliances and confidence, threatened this way of life and Cesar's place in the hierarchy. As the threat grew, Cesar fought to hold onto his place as top dog but Malik's infiltration of the various prison groups, his drug business and his ever growing network eventually was able to unseat Cesar and become the king of the prison with all the respect that ensued.
Overall, a solid storyline that meticulously followed a plot that as mentioned before rivaled the Godfather, an American classic.
