The White Ribbon Review

Posted by Chad Webb on 12.30.2009

A movie that proves that too many rules can result in a dead canary.

Christian Friedel: Teacher
Ernst Jacobi: Narrator
Leonie Benesch: Eva
Ulrich Tukur: Baron
Ursina Lardi as Marie-Louise/Baroness
Fion Mutert: Sigmund
Michael Kranz: Home Teacher
Burghart Klaußner: Parson
Steffi Kühnert: Anna, Parson's Wife
Maria-Victoria Dragus: Klara
Leonard Proxauf: Martin
Levin Henning: Adolf
Johanna Busse: Margarete
Thibault Sérié: Gustav
Written and Directed By: Michael Haneke
Release Date: December 30, 2009
Running Time: 144 minutes







Rated R for some disturbing content involving violence and sexuality.

The White Ribbon represents some new terrain for Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke. It is a period piece, set just before the start of World War I. It is also filmed in black & white. What is not unusual however is the way Haneke constructs his pictures, and how he avoids catering to the viewer. If two people disagree on the quality of his films, one thing is for sure, he never falls victim to cliches. If Haneke is unknown to you, it should be mentioned up front that The White Ribbon might be a turn off. It is not a film that will work for everyone, but that is a risk Haneke takes regularly. Getting toyed with or turned upside down comes with the territory for his work. In that respect, The White Ribbon is not new for him.

That being said, after Funny Games, I always embrace Haneke's films with an open mind. I am drawn to his efforts because I truly do not know what to expect. From the structure to the themes, or the acting and the plot, Haneke is full of surprises, and I love approaching a film blindly, not knowing what will occur from one moment to the next. The White Ribbon contains images and ideas that remain haunting even weeks after seeing it and digesting it. I use the word digest because with Haneke, allowing the film to percolate is important. On some occasions, you will have certain reactions and feelings that you might not fully understand, or they may be instinctive, but going back and processing the substance can uncover new thoughts. This is one of his best films.

In many movies narration is not needed, or used simply for effect. That is not the case here. The narration is a fundamental aspect of this story, and how one views that, could make or break the proceedings. The main character, a teacher, tells the story of events that transpired in the north German village of Eichwald decades ago. He explains that he did not witness everything he is about to divulge, and that some of it is hearsay. He also explains that not all the questions were answered. Life in this village operates under a patriarchal type arrangement. Everyone goes about their daily duties, and knows exactly what their position in the society is. Their is a code of conduct, a moral code, that the village abides by, and it is enforced to the letter. The parties who are most affected by this are the children, who are punished both physically and psychologically. The women do not have it easy either. This is a male dominated society.

Soon, bizarre and disturbing incidents start happening around the village. What begins the chain of events is the doctor, while riding on horseback, trips over an invisible wire, and is severly injured, incapacitating him for months. Kids are then beaten, property is damaged, and no one knows who the guilty parties are. The teacher meanwhile, sees these odd circumstances unravel, while at the same time, he is trying to romance a young local girl named Eva, who works for the Baron and the Baroness as a nanny. Who is responsible, and what is the point? As the violence persists, a war looms in the distance.

This is not a whodunit, not in the basic definition of the word anyway, and the mystery aspects of the story are not the core of the action. Most summaries will do one of two things: they will either reveal too much information, or leave enough out that it sounds like a mystery thriller. I do not wish to reveal any more than I already have. As hard as Haneke is to gauge, many of his films are difficult to place into a specific category. While The White Ribbon contains laces of mystery, thrills, and even comedy, it is grounded like a drama. This is also long, but even at 144 minutes, I was not bored. Instead I was engrossed for the duration at how Haneke spins a web of intrigue with reflective components, ones that might not be clear right away, and might not be spelled out, but are still present.

It is worth noting that I did not list any names or characters, aside from the teacher. There are more than thirty named characters in this movie. The kids all have ordinary names, but most of the adults are referred to simply by their titles. For instance, you have the Baron, the Doctor, the Farmer, and so forth. The White Ribbon is saturated with symbolism in a most fascinating way. Since the teacher is telling the story, he is the center, but the rest of the cast are basically equally as important. This is about the village as a whole, not just a select group of characters.

This is a dark film with an ominous ambience hanging over the story. The polite/stern manner of many characters induces tension that is so thick in certain scenes, it almost makes the viewer uncomfortable. Take any moment between the Doctor and the woman he lives with, who act in a certain way until they unload the blunt truth about each other with comments so cruel and shocking from two uptight folks, it almost seems humorous or exaggerated, but is that intentional? Wisely, the budding romance between Eva and the teach shifts the tone from serious to light. As the sole sympathetic character, it is pleasing to watch him pursue this female, and attempt to gain the acceptance of her father.

Imagining life in this community prior to these events is frightening and agonizing considering the time we spend with the population in The White Ribbon. The audience joins them when the repression, guilt, and bottled up anger has no choice but to surface and take aim. The unabashed behavior that has been tolerated for so long is finally dealt with, albeit by alarming means. The distorted values and rules can only last so long, and Haneke unravels the story at a deliberate, yet appropriate pace that augments the weight of every conversation, every fleeting encounter, and every stare.

The acting is similar to that of a military platoon marching in formation. It is not routine or forced, but every cast memeber is duly and totally committed to their roles, as if they spent years researching the parts and disappearing into the characters. They are the soldiers for the General in Michael Haneke, all determining to put forth a consummate effort. If The White Ribbon has a stand out, it is the Parson, or the Pastor, as portrayed by Burghart Klaussner. This is a man who is probably revered by most of the village. He preaches about God to the masses, but behind the scenes lies a vicious individual. Klaussner's cold and demeaning glare are penetrating, and his turn is a tour de force of intimidation and control. The cast acts as a unit completely in sync, which adds to the guise that this is an actual town.

It is not customary for Haneke to make use of a score. He is not interested in stirring our emotions falsely, or providing a cue of when to think or feel something specific. The White Ribbon in that regard is a quiet film, giving sequences like the bruning barn a coating of eeriness that is almost matchless as the fire crackles over the residents panic. The music included stems from natural sources. This method to music, the absence of a score, is yet another facet that separates Haneke from the pack. Mixing organic song and music with a composed score could dampen the effect of the inherent moment. Haneke eliminates that possibility, and it is effective.

The White Ribbon is a unique tale, but it is reminiscent of Carl Dreyer's work, especially Ordet in terms of graveness and asceticism, and Day of Wrath for religious implications and pacing. Haneke's sense of timing is immaculate as the gripping exchanges and meetings steadily creep towards the startling chill of the action based scenes. Christian Berger is the cinematographer, one Haneke has collaborated with before, and they employ a stark and stunning black & white appearance. This aids in having the audience believe this takes place decades ago, whereas color might have altered that aim. Berger acts as an observer on the dirt roads and neatly cleaned houses, but he captures some breathtaking images, despite the straightforward camera style.

Haneke has crafted a great film, one that will at least get everyone discussing and debating, because it works on many levels. The screenplay is an absorbing mystery, but it also serves as a mesmerizing character study, and analysis of the underlying rot in a society. Finally, it is a cautionary-tale, and terrific use of a perhaps skewed viewpoint. The White Ribbon is rich and scrupulous in character background, detail, and progression, and considering the amount of players, that is an astounding achievement. This is an experience that will surely divide moviegoers, but Haneke demands more from the viewer. He forces us to welcome the strange ways cinema can move or shake us. He succeeds and his Palme d'Or victory was well-deserved.

The 411: The White Ribbon is a great film, but for many, it might not work. If you appreciate the skills and originality of Michael Haneke, you will like this film. It is profound, suspenseful, and enthralling. Hopefully it gets nominated for an Oscar. Haneke may be a bit too unconventional for it to win, but as of now it is the best foreign picture of the year. During this busy movie time at the end of the year, do yourself a favor and experience the grim, but magnificent film from Mr. Haneke.

Final Score:  10.0   [ Virtually Perfect ]