| The White Ribbon (Das Weiße Band) | |
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To try and describe the story of this film is to minimise it in a way that would inevitably do it no justice. This is one of those mesmerising creations which goes beyond the bare narrative and forms a whole other world. In this particular one, we are transported back to rural Germany on the eve of the First World War. The village we are placed inside is one of silent turmoil, of annual struggle and of occasional sorrow. The particular moment at which we reach this village encompasses all of those themes and more. The whole film is shot in black and white but avoids stylised contrast in favour of the many shades of grey that form real life. In a sense this is the simplest way for a filmmaker to separate the black and white of an aesthete and the black and white of a man with a story to tell. Rather than being slapped in the face with what the director deems to be striking images, we are enveloped in a world of old that is at once familiar (through second-hand knowledge and filmic convention) and yet very alien. Similarly, Haneke avoids overt moral judgements which are so often pounded into audiences via dramatic confrontation. Instead he gradually imbues his film with a quiet sense of time and place. Once inside this world, the story builds up until we are forced into seeing the realities these people face: the hardships of rural life (beginning with several 'accidents') and the physical and brutality that runs underneath such small communities. These are elements which could (and have) so easily be impacted upon the audience with sudden revelations. But to offer a dawning revelation such as that provided by The White Ribbon is a truly impressive cinematic experience. That doesn't, however, mean that it is an entirely pleasant one. A friend of mine remarked on leaving the cinema that Haneke has succeeded in sucking all of the joy from cinema. Many people are likely to feel the same. There are few heady highs to be seen here, and even the heart-wrenching lows deny the usual adrenaline rush we're sold by Hollywood drama, and so some might think - 'what's the point'? The answer is that this is cinema at it's most visceral and real. A genuine window into another world, now long gone, and a powerful examination of the tormented youth of a nation. The recreation of this time is completely lacking in artifice, and the showy trappings many of us have become accustomed to, and that's what makes it so genuine and its story and themes so all-encompassing. If that's something you appreciate in a film, then there will be few better than The White Ribbon. Rating: *****
Starring: Christian Friedel, Burghart Klaußner, Leonie Benesch, Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Tukur, Ursina Lardi, Rainer Bock, Maria-Victoria Dragus
For more fantastic period drama, try and hunt down Everlasting Moments or for something closer to home give Bright Star a go. Or if you can't let go of this fantastic film, read our interview with Michael Haneke HERE. |
As art cinema goes, there are few filmmakers who can rival the compelling richness of Haneke. The White Ribbon is no different. Layered with seething tensions in this small village, poking into various assumptions and prejudices, and gradually peeling away the innocence of an age about to end, Haneke creates a story which is frightening as much for its absolute realism than the many varied emotions and themes he touches upon.
