THE WHITE RIBBON (DAS WEISSE BAND) (Austria/Germ/Fr/It 2009) *****
Directed by Michael Haneke

From the very beginning to the end of its 144 minute running time, Michael Haneke’s disturbing drama on repression, punishment and evil is an intense watch.  Full concentration is required to appreciate Haneke’s Cannes Palme d’Or Winner but THE WHITE RIBBON is undoubtedly on of the best of Haneke’s films and one of the best films of the year.

THE WHITE RIBBON is a symbol of purity.  The two eldest children of the Pastor (Burghart Klabner) of the village are forced to wear these symbols till their confirmation as they have failed to please their strictest father in terms of deed and behaviour.  One result is the father’s dead pet bird found on his desk with a pair of scissors through its throat.  Other horrid acts occur in the village, the first of which seen in the film is a doctor’s (Rainer Bock) horse tripped by a wire tied between two trees.  The horror (often communicated effectively through dialogue as in images) is described as the doctor’s collar bone jamming into his neck, as he wreathes in pain on the ground.  Is it because he is verbally and physically abusing his mistress (as displayed in the film’s most shocking segment) or is he just an innocent bystander caught in acts of vengeance. 

Haneke is an avid storyteller specializing in forbidden human acts like suicide (THE SEVENTH CONTINENT), violence and torture (FUNNY PEOPLE) or discrimination (CACHE) or cruel revenge (LA PIANISTE).  His use of an overlooking innocent and polite, poor schoolteacher (Christian Friedel) as the voiceover (voiceover by Ernst Jacobi) is most appropriate.  He brings meaning to the events and creates a level of justice as to what is right or not.  The identity of the narrator, not made immediately known in the film creates curiosity as to who or why he is chosen.  Only after the first half hour has passed does Haneke reveal his narrator as one of the characters in the film – that of a schoolteacher courting the young nanny (Leonie Benesch) of the Baron’s children.

Haneke keeps his film compelling by the introducing of new characters and incidents into the story.  His film is both incident and character driven at different points in the film.  Though he never fully reveals the culprit or culprits of the evil acts – that is not the purpose here – he unravels sufficient clues to let the audience decide.

Haneke uses most of his expert devices from his previous films to create an atmosphere or mood.  As in most of his films there is a sparing use of music.  If in use, like in the playing of the musical instruments to emphasize the baroness’ culture or to effect a disturbance (like the blowing of a whistle), there is a purpose.  As he did in FUNNY GAMES, Haneke uses irritating sounds to aid the audience get annoyed with a situation, like the constant crying of a baby.

Haneke thunders his film towards a climax that leads to (unshown) the beginning of the First World War where intolerance, hate and all the worst in human beings come to a boil.  THE WHITE RIBBON is a horror film in the true sense of the word, and the scariest thing is that the audience is often on the side of the culprits when the evil deeds of the guilty are revealed.