The White Ribbon (2009)
This was the first Haneke film I saw and it made a lasting impression on me. Haneke doesn’t exactly make films you want to rewatch, but it is more than 10 years ago, so I wanted to see it again with a new perspective as I have since become much more familiar with the rest of his filmography.
It wasn’t the same gutpunch as the first time around, and other Haneke films have drawn me into deeper levels, but it is still undeniably an impeccably made film, from the cinematography to the actors performances. The small town has that conflicting atmosphere on being quite idyllic countryside living, but with many levels of human abuse inside the four walls. As usual Haneke rarely shows things directly, but we get to imagine plenty of what happens behind closed doors, just outside the frame and when hearing about the aftermaths. While it has somewhat the structure of a mystery “whodunit” narrative, it is not a film that gives definite answers or any sort of catharsis on what is happening. It is an exploration of themes on authority, religious fanaticism, guilt and fascism - all in the historical setting of pre-WW1 Germany.
Rating: 4