From its minimalist, silent opening credits to its close, Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” is an effective experience in discomfort and destruction. The Austrian director has explored similar themes in previous films, including “Cache,” “Code Unknown,” and both versions of “Funny Games,” but his technical prowess is at its peak in this disturbing drama. Set in a small village in northern Germany just prior to World War I, “The White Ribbon” observes as the town’s society and its people unravel in the wake of a number of “accidents.”
As he tries to court a young woman (Leonie Benesch), an unnamed schoolteacher (newcomer Christian Friedel in what should be a career-making performance) looks on in horror as a multitude of incidents claim the lives and innocence of the townspeople around him. The trouble begins with the intentional injury of a horse and its rider, and it escalates to permanent injury and death for people who are both innocent and guilty in the eyes of their neighbors. Even the town’s children aren’t exempt from the trauma, and each family is touched in some way by tragedy. The town is structured around the estate of The Baron (Ulrich Tukur), his wife (Ursina Lardi), and their children. The local Doctor (Rainer Bock) and his unmarried assistant, The Midwife (Susanne Lothar), are the first people affected, but their lives don’t improve as the year passes. The Pastor (Burghart Klaussner) presides over both the village and his own household, including his two oldest children, Klara (Maria-Victoria Dragus) and Martin (Leonard Proxauf), who are often eerily close to the mishaps. The Baron’s steward (Josef Bierbichler) and his family experience their own share of troubles, as does the widowed Farmer (Branko Samarovski) and his large brood.
Most of the actors in the large cast will be unknowns to American audiences, but Haneke doesn’t need big names such as Juliette Binoche, Isabelle Huppert, or Daniel Auteil to carry a film. Their lack of exposure even serves to contribute to the film’s naturalistic feel. As mentioned above, the performance from Friedel as The Schoolteacher is particularly effective, as is his character’s narration (voiced by Ernst Jacobi). Characters morph and twist as the film progresses, and the actors — even the youngest ones — have no trouble keeping up with the transformations.
Though “The White Ribbon” may be officially categorized as a drama, it has elements of the mystery, thriller and horror genres as well. As the film unspools, tension grows exponentially, and the audience waits for each new “accident” with a sense of dread that never lifts, even as the end credits silently roll. Instead of the incidents — and their anticipation — being the only sources of pain for both the characters and the audience, everyday interactions change from friendly to savage, earning more than a few gasps from the audience for their malice.
Alternately set to a soundtrack of screaming children, buzzing flies, falling snow, and other diegetic noises, “The White Ribbon” aims to unsettle with every detail. Even the 145-minute running time seems like a sadistic touch when weighed with the rest of the film’s mean-spirited elements. The long takes unflinchingly record the reactions of the villagers to each new event, and Haneke makes interesting choices in which horrors he will reveal to the audience and which are left to our overactive imaginations. Closed doors and obscuring camera angles keep us in the dark on some of the more disturbing visuals, but it’s not just the events themselves that are hidden. “The White Ribbon” wouldn’t be a Haneke film if it revealed every answer, and this fits perfectly with the rest of his oeuvre in that regard.
At The Playlist, we’re divided on the film’s merits, even though “Cache” ranks as one of our favorites of the decade. This Palme d’Or winner has already earned a few early awards, including for Haneke himself as well as the starkly beautiful black and whitecinematography from frequent Haneke collaborator Christian Berger (“Cache”). His well-framed shots succeed in every moment, from close-ups to wide-angled, more expansive vista. He captures the top-notch performances, the rural setting and the period-perfect set design of Christoph Kanter.
With “The White Ribbon,” Haneke has again created a theater of human cruelty, leaving his audience uncomfortable and disturbed. If I’m making it sound unpleasant, it’s because it’s meant to be. He’s a talented filmmaker who has made a number of effectively bleak movies, and I admire him for his ability to have the audience at his mercy. I just wouldn’t want to share a summer house with the man. [B+]
