Zonzon (1998)
Directed by Laurent Bouhnik

Film Review

Laurent Bouhnik's dark portrait of prison life (“Zonzon” is French slang for prison) has been praised for its innovative use of cinematic technique but it is a far from easy film to watch.  The film's unusual visual feel transforms a harsh realistic setting into an almost surreal nightmare world, a place where tortured souls live a limbo-like existence, not knowing where they will end up and constantly haunted by memories of the life they once had.   From the point of view of style and innovation, Laurent Bouhnik has proven that he is most certainly a director to watch out for.

Where the film falls down is that it does not have enough dramatic cohesion or depth of characterisation to maintain the attention of its audience.  The characters we see in the film are interesting but give little away; indeed it is the film's heavy visual style that keeps the characters at some distance from us.  This may have been intentional but it weakens the film's impact greatly.

As a shorter film (perhaps 40 to 50 minutes long), Zonzon would have made a much more effective work.  Unfortunately, dragged out to a full-length 90-minute feature the film feels painfully laboured and empty, although its haunting cinematography does leave a lingering impression.

Film Synopsis

Franky and Rico find themselves in prison after yet another criminal exploit turns sour.  Franky, a hardened criminal who has lost just about everything he possesses, including his family, ends up sharing a cell with two less seasoned convicts, Grandjean and Kader.  In custody for drugs smuggling, Grandjean still fiercely protests his innocence and is impatiently awaiting the trial which he hopes will allow him to go free.

Kader, the most resigned of the three, is serving a two year stretch for theft.  A repeat offender, he prefers being in prison to the outside world, and will no doubt soon be back for more when he has completed his present term.  Although Franky gets off to a bad start with his two cell-mates, gradually they begin to warm to one another and a grudging friendship starts to take shape.  It's one way of easing the emotional and physical trauma of prison life...