The White Ribbon

"This may be my favorite Haneke film along with The Piano Teacher. "

"3½⭐/5⭐ +/- A work of visual artistry. I was struck by how, for a black and white movie, the shades of white sometimes overpowered the shades of black, giving the scenes a faded aesthetic similar to old photographs that are almost bleached by the flash. There are also scenes that linger in the grays and blacks, making the setting feel a little off. It works perfectly for the plot where we spend most of the runtime watching unnerving, suggestive events unfold in a small village right at the cusp of WWI. It almost solely rests on world building, where we get to know the villagers through small interactions, with the village's teacher narrating the events as if looking back at his time there. It isn't so much about these suspicious incidents that happen-- from a doctor riding his horse into a trip wire; the mysterious deaths and beatings of certain people; the burning of a farm-- It really seems to be about the village existing in its own dysfunctional ethos that is veiled by the ignorance of those who don't wish to know who is causing the chaos, so long as the chaos doesn't affect them personally. When it does start to affect them, that is when investigations are launched and police are called in. The movie suggests that the culprit(s) don't act from natural motives. No rhyme or reason, just the ignorant manipulating the clueless and the clueless existing in a state of unease. The way the narrative unfolds builds through the atmosphere of the setting and the tone of the story. Challenging to watch. I do appreciate the artistic integrity of the film, but the plot and the unfolding of the narrative is way too bleak. There are suggestive elements that are genuinely unnerving, but the teacher who is supposed to anchor us through it doesn't become very consequential until the end, and when he does, the movie almost comes to an abrupt stop rather than an actual end. Your brain almost has to be wired to focus on the grim side of human nature to get lost in the movie's spell."

"Anyone who might avoid this movie because of its very long run time, black and white filming, and subtitles should think twice about it. This is a fascinating movie, and so far as Haneke goes, one of the easiest to digest. Di"