The White Ribbon
If you’re unfamiliar with the work of Austrian film-maker Michael Haneke, I urge you to rent or buy the following on DVD: ‘Funny Games’ (the original German language version), ‘Code Unknown’, ‘The Piano Teacher’ and ‘Caché’. These are, without question, four of the best films of the last two decades. And, with ‘The White Ribbon’, Haneke has produced another masterpiece.
It’s a compelling period drama – shot in black and white – about a series of mysterious, violent incidents affecting the residents of a small village in northern Germany. The story’s engaging, the characters are empathetic and the pacing is perfect. On the surface, this film works as a gripping “whodunnit” thriller.
But, dig below the surface, and you uncover an intelligent and brave study of the dark side of the human condition. As the narrative progresses, the children of the village fall under suspicion of committing these atrocious acts. The film is set in 1914; these children will be adults in the 1930s; they will embrace fascism. So, why did this generation buy-in to the Nazi ideology? Where they born of a malicious and spiteful nature, or were they corrupted by social and cultural influences at an early age?
The questions raised in the film are not confined to this specific period of history. Haneke examines the root causes of all forms of hatred, prejudice and fundamentalism, including child abuse, the class system and religion.
Haneke’s films linger long in the memory, are worthy of lengthy discussion and have you Googling for hours, searching for their hidden themes and messages. ‘The White Ribbon’ is easily one of the best motion pictures of 2009: deserving of the Palme d’Or it won at Cannes. I'm still in shock, after it missed out on an Oscar last weekend.
