District B-13 | DVD Review

Kicking and punching it’s way out of the ghettos of France comes District B13, a collaborative effort from french director Pierre Morel and action impresario Luc Besson.

When the government of France decides to take drastic measures to rid the country of a particularly lawless region, they inadvertently unleash two hardcore martial artists, one on each side of the law and both with something at stake.

District B13 is a showcase for the physical discipline known as Parkour, which DB13 star David Belle founded. It is defined by Wikipedia as an, “uninterrupted, efficient forward motion over, under, around and through obstacles (both man-made and natural) in one’s environment”. Belle further describes Parkour as, “freedom of movement and… a means of transportation”. Both Belle and costar Cyril Raffaelli have martial art backgrounds, so most of the film is spent outrunning waves of gangsters and fighting their way through impossible situations. What makes DB13 more than just a run-of-the-mill actioner, is the bleak futurist scenario in which the characters find themselves. The film rises above it’s B-film grade to become a morality tale on the repercussions of class warfare, unchecked poverty and state (ir)responsibility. Ultimately, DB13 feels timely given the recent wave of anti-Chirac urban rioting by disaffected french youth.


Clocking in at just under an hour, “The Making of District B13” features interviews with just about every primary and secondary cast member in the film as well as some of the technical crew. There are numerous cast anecdotes, insights into Parkour (from Belle and Raffaelli), and descriptions of how this whole project came together. A lot of the people involved in this production seem particularly interesting and I appreciate the extra mile the DVD has gone to give everyone a bit of face time – kudos. Also included is a somewhat superfluous extended fight sequence, and a few outtakes to round out the disc.

The stunts are impressive, the social commentary effective, and the extras few but interesting. DB13’s got the muscle you crave with a bit of brains to spare.

Movie rating – 3

Disc Rating – 3.5