No Fear, No Die

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No Fear, No Die

Released Sep 5, 1990

1h 32m

Drama

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100%

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6 Reviews

74%

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100+ Ratings

Two friends (Isaach de Bankolé, Alex Descas) train birds for illegal cock fights, but one has trouble handling the violence inflicted on the animals.

Kat Sachs

Chicago Reader

In Fever, Holland adopts from the source material a rather cynical view of revolution, considering the myriad ways in which it can be compromised.

Aug 3, 2024

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

The events that make up the action of No Fear, No Die are more than merely well imagined and plausible; they seem to have been excerpted from a fully realized world.

Jul 23, 2024

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Clayton Dillard

Slant Magazine

As with Claire Denis’s previous Chocolat, emphasis is placed both on how the French legacy of colonialism persists into the present, as well as how Black men are often filtered through the white imagination to ruinous ends.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 15, 2024

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Jas Keimig

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Though I love watching De Bankolé (and his face) in any role, the real star is Descas as Jocelyn. He hardly speaks the entire film, but his eyes and body betray a discomfort and entrapment...

Dec 9, 2021

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 4/5

Jun 29, 2005

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Paints a dark picture of the cockfighting scene.

Rated: B-

May 17, 2004

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William L

A dark portrayal of survival, ambition, and the immigrant experience from Denis. Drawing parallels between the fighting cocks that the pair train for the amusement of others and their own involuntary subservience to an unchosen master, De Bankolé and Descas portray the restrictive conditions of the first-generation transplant - discriminated against, often unable to effectively integrate and find success due to cultural divides, and a debilitating lack of resources. Denis mananges to convey emotion without excess, allowing more nuanced performances to carry the day. Covers familiar thematic territory, but well-executed. (3.5/5)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/21

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Claire Denis

Director

Isaach de Bankolé

Dah

Alex Descas

Jocelyn

Jean-Claude Brialy

Pierre Ardennes

Solveig Dommartin

Toni

Christopher Buchholz

Michel

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Synopsis

Two friends (Isaach de Bankolé, Alex Descas) train birds for illegal cock fights, but one has trouble handling the violence inflicted on the animals.

Director: Claire Denis
Producer: Francis Boespflug, Philippe Carcassonne
Screenwriter: Claire Denis, Jean-Pol Fargeau
Distributor: Pyramide, Kino International Corp.
Production Co: Cinéa, NEF Filmproduktion
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Canadian French
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 5, 1990, Original
Runtime: 1h 32m
Sound Mix: Stereo