Let me start off by saying that I'm not a huge Michael Haneke fan. I don't hate him by any means, after all, many of his films (like Cache and Funny Games) raise a lot of thought provoking questions, yet at times I feel Haneke gets bogged down in his own fascination with the mundane. Such an indulgence often makes his films a slow, agonizing burn as many of their scenes go on for far too long, reducing any form of tension Haneke has established throughout. Yet, as I try to do with any movie, I checked my preconceived notions and bias at the door, and treated the film as its own entity. As I finished watching Haneke's newest venture, "The White Ribbon", winner of the Palme d'Or, I couldn't help but feel some form of elation. Finally, I found a film by Haneke that I truly didn't hate or see as a missed opportunity.
Certainly the film plays to many of Haneke's previous work, more specifically capturing the human state during violent or tumultuous times. "The White Ribbon" follows the citizens of a German village pre World War I, as they try to comprehend a string of mysterious events that plague the place they call home. Some of the events have potential faces placed to them, but many of them are acts of ritualistic violence whose perpetrators go unknown. As demonstrated in his film "Cache", Haneke is a writer who can lead the viewer in many directions by establishing angles and motives between his characters. With such an ability Haneke is always able to leave the viewer with the burden of determining who did what and why. Obviously since "The White Ribbon" has a cavalcade of characters within the village, the viewer is left with the ominous task of determining who should be damned, but it's all the better for this as it actively engages the viewer to look back in order to determine what will never be an easy answer. So, in many respects, Haneke places us in the framework of a neighborhood not much different than our very own where will we point our fingers in every other direction given the proper event and chance.
Aside from this "whodunit" aspect, Haneke's film also works on another level. More specifically, it depicts the rise of fascism and the birth of those who served under the Third Reich during World War II. Through the violent and at times demeaning acts of their parents, many of the village's children yield to subordination like dogs sitting at their masters request, revealing a characteristic that many could argue was prominent during Hitler's reign as his Nazi soldiers proudly submitted to their Fuhrer's desire. Not only does this particular layer add a bit of historical context for "The White Ribbon", but demonstrates the influence one's society or even personal contacts can have on a person's behavior. Whether it's through paranoia, religion, or actual facts, the actions of today will be the repercussions of tomorrow.
But, for as thought provoking and engaging as "The White Ribbon" is, I feel the film falls short of perfect. In some regards, the villager's response to the acts of violence surrounding them seems underwhelming. There are certainly moments where villagers question the heinous acts, but never do they push the envelope or become too inquisitive about the events. This is especially disappointing considering some of the characters Haneke has developed would go on a witch hunt, or in the very least investigate, the mysterious events. Accompanying this lack of urgency in the village, to no surprise, the film also has many dead spots where Haneke indulges a bit. Certainly said indulgences are kept to a minimum, but at times they create a few boring minutes that took me out of the experience.
And in all honesty, "The White Ribbon" was an experience I never thought I would get with a Michael Haneke film. It's a beautifully shot film that challenges the viewer to determine the guilty and the innocent, as it creates an environment full of rich symbolism and ideas that need to be considered from many differing view points. After all, things like belief, guilt, meaning, etc. can be drastically altered when examined through the perspective of another.
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