NYFF MAIN SLATE

The White Ribbon / Das weiße band - Michael Haneke, 2009, Germany/Austria/France/Italy, 144m

Screens: 10/08/09 9:00pm

I’m not sure if it deserved the Palme D’or it got at Cannes this year but I must admit that I really loved the viewing experience I had watching Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon. The movie is a stark black and white exploration of the evils that are hidden in society and in homes and in people’s hearts.  It has a wonderful sprawling cast of characters that are all tied together, making the film quite reminiscent of a 19th century novel.

The characters all live in a German town in the years right before the start of World War II and the story starts when one accident sets of a series of bad events that turn out not to be accidents at all.  We learn about the incidents through the voiceover of the town’s school teacher as he reflects back upon what happened in the town during that time.

If you read about the film (or even just look at the film’s NYFF synopsis) you’ll no doubt hear about the film’s attempt to examine fascism, all of its symbolism and how it uses religion.  Even listening to Michael Haneke at the press conference after the film it becomes clear a lot is at play in The White Ribbon.  But even so, I think the film succeeds on a more basic level. Simply put, it is a really good, dynamic, well told story.

The entire cast effortlessly flows through their world and the school teacher and his fiance in particular stole my heart.  The mysterty of the accidents and the drama of the familal relationships are completely and wonderfully intrigiung. The first note I wrote down during the movie, that the children are “creepy and beautiful” says more to me about why this movie is enjoyable than all the academic readings that I could interpret.

Of course those readings are there and you are watching a movie about the seeds of fascism and the harms of societally implimented religion, which is awesome.  Commentary about ideas and things that affect us are always good.  But what makes this film stand out, what makes it something worth seeing is that it’s a story about people, masterfully told.

In short, it’s a movie in the best sense of the word.