Cinespastic: Germanic Mysteries
Tucked away in a tiny German village hide some very dark, nasty secrets. It is just a year before World War I, and the country- the whole continent really- has yet to be ravaged by war. This is certainly not to say that everyone in the village is happy, no not the case at all. Most in the village seem to be walking around like something is about to explode, as in any minute war may break out. And so it does. But the war that breaks out is not one that breaks nations, it is one within their own village, perpetrated by unknown persons (or forces?) onto the innocent.
Wearing the badge of innocence.
Shot in color and transferred to black and white, comes the latest film by Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, the 2009 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or winner, The White Ribbon. It is both a beautiful and difficult film to watch. Its beauty lies in its craftsmanship, and reflects the severity of the story to exactness. It is seeped in a false esotericism projected by those who claim to be the standard-bearers of truth and morality in the village. The reality is that they have no greater hold on virtue than the rest, and have little if any answers at all to the horrors that begin to envelop their lives.
Haneke has said that in The White Ribbon he intended to make a film about “the origin of every type of terrorism, be it of political or religious nature.” His intent is accomplished. While certainly the story of the film represents a time and place that was able to give birth to leaders and a movement who would go on to commit the most horrible of crimes imaginable on millions of people, its historical scope is not so limited.
It is instead an allegory to cross centuries-old historical lines. While fascism may have been the bastard child of the 20th Century, its tenants have been used from one person against the next for time immemorial. The White Ribbon exposes the lies behind those who claim to know all-truths, the perpetuation of ignorance as a tool to cull the population, and the indoctrination of the lost who are looking for answers.
A rare tender moment in the film.
The film is narrated by an old man who was the local schoolteacher at the time of the film, reflecting back to the bizarre incidents that happened in his village of residence when he was in his early 30s. These happenings are overflowing with malice, and have in their intent to hurt and frighten as many as possible.
I will not go into detail as to not give away elements of the plot, but the attacks that come range in their results from bloodied faces to awful deaths, and their causation is of a mysterious and unknown form. The cruelty that abounds in the village is not just manifested in a physical way, but also through verbal, emotional, and sexual abuse that acts in as terroristic a way as the brutal attacks. The perpetrators of these abuses are well known to us, and their motives are of little or no difference than those of the unknowns committing the crimes. It is here that Haneke’s intentions really are on display.
His approach is deeply clinical- distant and unfeeling. He is not there to hold the audiences’ hand and walk them through their emotions. Instead he approaches his material much as a pathologist or a coroner- slyly telling his story as if he is there only to present the facts and for no other reason. But deep within this style lies a calculated approach; an approach that uses the most basic of film techniques to create an ambiance that feels as cold as the story and the characters themselves. His camera never intrudes too far into a scene- it remains as a chronicler and not a participator in the action.
The photography is particularly effective in its dark approach. Haneke and director of photography Christian Berger use the camera to create a world that acts as the perfect mirror to Haneke’s original screenplay.
And the performances match the story just as well as the photography. The two young teens who are forced to wear the white ribbons by their oppressive minister father to be reminded of their innocence possess the character of one that seems to be about to protect you or murder you- your guess is as good as mine.
A wealthy resident of the village.
Haneke sums up well his approach to filmmaking: “My films are intended as polemical statements against the American ‘barrel down’ cinema and its dis-empowerment of the spectator. They are an appeal for a cinema of insistent questions instead of false (because too quick) answers, for clarifying distance in place of violating closeness, for provocation and dialogue instead of consumption and consensus.”
I couldn’t have said it better, and The White Ribbon is the manifestation of this quote. It is a difficult movie, at times hard to watch. Its intent is not to answer the easy questions for you. It strives to make a point, and it is up to you, dear audience, to find it yourself.
The White Ribbon is playing in select theaters nationwide and will continue to expand through April. Visit www.sonyclassics.com/thewhiteribbon for further details and release dates.
For my DVD pick of the week, I have one for the both of us, one of Haneke’s most popular films, Caché (Hidden). I have not seen it, but after seeing The White Ribbon I am greatly looking forward to it. Watch the trailer and see why……
First time here? See what we're all about... Get involved... Send us a tip!...
Sounds like a great film. Just a minor edit:
“While fascism may have been the bastard child of the 20th Century, its tenants have been used from one person against the next for time immemorial.”
I believe “tenants” was mistakenly written instead of “tenets”.
oh man cache is so good. i haven’t seen the white ribbon yet, partly because i’m always kind of afraid of haneke’s stuff. he’s certainly not shy about making us suffer for it. you should watch seventh continent too if you haven’t already and are looking to see more of his stuff.
Leave your response!
Recent Coments
Most Commented
Most Viewed - 30 Days