The White Ribbon

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1. ›The White Ribbon - Movie Review@coldsteem2616d

   

   The White Ribbon is a color-washed film that skirts issues of good and evil with black and white imagery adding symbolic depth to the tale.  Set in Northern Germany just prior to World War I, we are set up from the outset by a narrator recalling events from many years prior...tying them to later events in Germany without ever fully explaining the connection he is making.

   

   The narrator's veiled connection is the first of many vagaries that take place in a small village where everyone seems to know each other's business.  The film presents an interesting story of strange events, casting suspicion many directions before leaving the events open to discussion.  There is no neat "ribbon" to tie this package together.  Instead, the thought-provoking ending leaves unanswered questions dwelling in the minds of the audience. 

   

   The White Ribbon is sort of a whodunnit with a look and feel not unlike the gumshoe films of years past.  The audience is introduced to a cast of interesting characters, with a surprising twist regarding the prime suspects...who may not be suspect after all.  With the introduction of varied motives and closer inspection of individual relationships, The White Ribbon is able to weave an intriguing tale that leaves open questions regardless of which solution you opt to believe.

   

   Without revealing much in terms of the actual plot, the events depicted begin when a Doctor returns home from riding his horse.  As he enters the yard, his horse trips over a wire strung across the road.  (Could it be piano wire?...more than one person in the village play...or have played...the piano).  The horse tumbles sending the Doctor flying.  A broken collarbone and arm land the Doctor in the hospital.  Subsequent strange events create suspicion as well as new motives and suspects.  The unsolved mysteries culminate in abrupt departure of some residents shortly after the outbreak of World War I.

   

   The White Ribbon succeeds for me because of two primary elements.  The writing was outstanding and the cinematography was exceptional.  The characters were well developed with intriguing relationships that are slowly developed for the audience to appreciate.  The characters and their interactions are gently established through normal, credible events.  As we begin to know the characters, possible motives come into focus.  The measured cultivation of the characters added suspense as well as engaging the audience in the plot.  Although the plot is left wide open, it was satisfying and seemed to accomplish the objective of providing the audience material to contemplate and muse over.  My only complaint with the writing was the extended run time and some sluggish pacing.  There were some hard stretches in the film where I found myself looking at my watch.  I think some additional cutting could pare this film down closer to two hours and improve the pacing drastically.

   

   The cinematography utilized washed colors to create a nearly black and white viewing experience.  This effect enhanced the period aspects of the film, set in the early 1900s.  The scenes were well framed to set the tone for the action.  The scenes are sometimes close and intimate and other times distant and sterile.  Even with the washed look, the expressions of the actors and mood of the events are captured well on film.  The effect created a rich, consuming atmosphere to draw viewers in.

   

   The White Ribbon selected an excellent cast.  The child actors were exceptionally notable.  In order to keep the audience guessing, the children had to exhibit innocence at times while maintaining a suspicion of a capability for violence.  Klara (Maria-Victoria Dragus), Martin (Leonard Proxauf), Adolf (Levin Henning) and Magarete (Johanna Busse) were collectively excellent in this role.  The younger child Gustav (Thibault Serie) provided a more pure innocence that appeared untainted.  His character was incredibly engaging even in a minor but important role.  Christian Friedel delivered a strong performance as the lead character (with his narrative delivered by Ernst Jacobi).  Burghart Klaussner was exceptional as the Pastor.  His character adds some flavor to the film.  A strong cast brings Michael Haneke's unique characters to life.

   

   The White Ribbon alludes to acts that include incest, adultery, violence against children, and more.  The combination of adult themes and violence caused the MPAA to apply an R rating to the film.  A dead body is also shown naked from the waste down.  The violence seems to be the more severe of the elements.  Much of the adult material is alluded to either through dialogue or scenes that imply more than what is depicted.  The use of this imagery will go over the heads of most younger viewers.  There were one or two sex scenes that showed no nudity but gave a bit clearer indication of the activity might suggest a bit older viewing audience.  There was also some blunt dialogue about incest and sex.  A teenage audience would be an advisable starting point for this film. Run time is two hours, 24 minutes.

   

   I enjoyed The White Ribbon for the characters and the concept.  The cinematography added to my enjoyment.  I was a bit disappointed in the pacing at times, which seemed intentional...making those scenes seem a little bit contrived.  There were also a few scenes that did not seem to support the overall themes of the movie that may have been cut without affecting the story.  The sluggish pacing was glaring at times.  In spite of the pacing, the story is exceptional and superbly caught on film.  The White Ribbon is highly recommended. 8/10.

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2. ›Review : "The White Ribbon" (2009) - movie by Michael Haneke@mandibil2666d

   It is kind of dangerous to have too much previous critique of a movie in the back of your mind when entering into a viewing, but in this case, it was hard not to have at least heard of the Cannes Palms and the critical superlatives practically across the board. So it was with considerable expectations, that I sat through "The White Ribbon". I´ll admit it up front... Haneke is one of my absolute favorite directors. Few can get underneath the skin of a character or stretch the performance of an actor to stratospheric levels, when needed, like he can. He has a certain, sensitive and deadly serious touch, that no one else can quite match.

   

   We follow the recollections of a school teacher´s experiences In the pivotal year of 1913, in a small German town. A string of incidents occur, that cannot easily be explained. At the same time we are presented with the extremely authoritarian culture, primarily kept up by a omnipresent patriarchy. Specifically the priest is raising (or rather assaulting) his children harshly to make them conform with the rules of the culture and its superstitions.

   

   The teacher is himself a pacifist and clearly distinguishes himself by his, on one side being a part of culture, yet an individual who trusts his personal sense of morality and virtue. As he approaches one of the young women of the town, she is clearly very insecure and has very much a air of having been subdued by indoctrinated fear of socializing with men. This may certainly not be a bad thing in itself, but the lack of self knowledge as a result of cultural brainwashing is clearly not a step in the right direction for individuality and the ability to judge other peoples actions for yourself, within a philosophical framework.

   

   It is clear that the director (storyteller) wants us to think about connections between how children are treated and thus how they will end up interacting with adult culture, religion and politics. It is obvious that the next year brought the start of the first world war and that could only come about from a German people more or less brainwashed into submission as children and bringing that on into adulthood, expressed through a deep anger and hate toward parents and culture, but projected towards the evil "outsiders", who must be punished and defeated.

   

   There are several very well acted scenes, not least by the young kids and young adults. The combination of female passive aggressiveness and male sadism is also pretty well portrayed by several of the actors, who are genuinely disgusting. The cinematography is nothing short of perfection. The black and white colors are well chosen in my opinion, since that always turns your focus towards concepts, meanings and personalities. And it goes well with the commonness of black and white photographs and postcards of the era.

   

   I just think that Haneke tries to mouth more than he can eat in this case. The plot leaves too much unanswered while the explanations are wholly based on the viewers knowledge of later history of Germany not covered in the story or the plot itself. in my opinion these aspects are too far removed from each other to have that deep and disturbing effect I suppose Haneke is looking to create.

   

   At the same time it seems there are too many sub stories to keep track of to get a natural flow and developing story overall. The parts themselves do not really make that much of a coherent sum, but feel fragmented. It annoys me that I cannot dwell long enough on aspects that needs dwelling. Haneke needs to steer the actors and all the attempts at interweaving the separate parts so that in the end we do reach the ambitious conclusion he wants us to reach.

   

   It is one of those movies I so much want to like and think of as another Haneke masterpiece, but it does not grab me the same way as "Cache" or "The Piano Teacher", even if the deeper story is similarly well hidden. "The white ribbon" just grabs too much and is too remote from the deep story to work well. Everything else though, has the trademark of a master director. The foreboding air is present in almost every scene and the composition of the shots are as picturesque as you can possibly want.

   7/10

   

   

   

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