Lemmings (1979)
This is two made for TV movies that functions as a whole. The first part follows a group of Austrian teenagers in the late 50’s and the in the second we revisit some of them 20 years later. Despite being very early Haneke, it is still undeniably his style and it works as a thematic companion to Das Weisse Band he made 40 years later. Haneke has always made rather cynical films, and this is no exception with its rather bleak portrayal of a broken post-war generation. Haneke being born in 1942, maybe this depiction of his generation gives us explanation for why his filmography is the way it is. While global political events aren’t a direct part of his narrative, they often play an overshadowing role, giving some extra context to the personal tragedies we see unfold on screen.
My main enjoyment of this is admittedly as a deep dive into Haneke’s directorial style and themes, seeing how early he developed some of his stylistic traits. The emotional impact on me here is somewhat less compared to his later works, where he got to work with some extremely talented actors.
Rating: 3.5