User:Geoff B/Prophet plot summary

Malik El Djebena (Tahar Rahim), French of North African descent, is sentenced to six years in prison. Alone and illiterate upon arrival at the racially divided prison, he falls under the sway of a Corsican mafia group, led by Cesar Luciani.

Luciani, along with his right hand man, Vettori, thinks little of North Africans, and forces Malik to murder Reyeb, a witness in the next cell block. Although the victim haunts Malik for years afterward, the murder puts him under Corsican protection. Things change when most of the Corsicans are transferred or released. Malik, who had secretly been learning Corsican, in addition to his Arabic and French, making him useful to Luciani. Good behavior allows Malik furloughs from prison, so Malik can conduct business for Luciani on the outside. Malik becomes even more reliable than the gang’s longtime attorney, Sampierro.

Ryad, a Muslim friend, teaches Malik to read and write, and is the only person Malik can trust. Ryad exposes Malik to his own heritage, allowing him to meet two other Muslims, Tarik and Hassan, increasing his power within the prison. Through Ryad, Malik also becomes involved with a prison drug dealer, Jordi. Jordi's men were able to hide 25 kilograms of hashish prior to their arrest, and along with Ryad's early release, the three are given the chance to run drugs into the prison together.

Ryad is robbed and kidnapped by a drug dealer known as Latif. Malik threatens Latif's family and Ryad is returned, but is dying when his testicular cancer comes out of remission. Through his repeated interactions, Malik becomes an intimate of Ryad's family.

Although Luciani tries to control Malik by intimidation, he loses his sway. When Luciani learns that Malik is using his furloughs and prison protection to supply drugs, he attacks him. Malik decides on revenge.

Prior to Malik's second furlough, he has a dream of deer crossing a road. Malik is sent to meet Brahim Lattrache in Marseille, another Muslim, who is involved in a casino deal between Luciani and the Lingherris, an Italian mafia group. Here it is discovered that there is a mole in the Corsican mafia and that Lattrache is bitter over the death of his friend, Reyeb. Malik is held at gunpoint when his vision comes true and their vehicle collides with a deer, causing Lattrache to believe that Malik is a prophet. Malik makes a deal with Lattrache and discovers that he can intimidate Latif into returning the drugs to Ryad.

Sampierro informs Luciani that Jacky Marcaggi, the Don of the Corsican mafia, is secretly dealing with the Lingherris, and is attempting to uncover the mole himself. With no one to turn to, Luciani sends Malik to meet Vettori in order to assassinate Marcaggi, and eventually the Lingherris. Ryad is an eager accomplice, since he sees no other way to leave something for his family.

The drug runners refuse to be involved, so the two friends have to go ahead on their own. Malik double crosses Vettori on the day of the hit and knocks him unconscious. Malik kills Marcaggi’s bodyguards when he sees an opportunity, drags the boss back to his car, and leaves him with an unconscious Vettori.

Upon Malik’s next appearance in the prison yard, he takes his place among the Muslim group he has cultivated and stands under their protection. When Luciani tries to approach him for an explanation, he is violently refused.

Ryad is dead when Malik's sentence ends, but his wife and son meet him. She invites him to take her son’s bedroom and he walks with them to the bus stop, followed by a coterie of protectors.