Capsule-like Reviews from the Melbourne International Film Festival continue…
Michael Haneke’s visually gorgeous Palme d’Or winner is the haunting tale of a rural German town during the 1910’s. Shot totally in black and white, the poetic contrast of the visual aesthetic to the shades of gray in the film’s story and characters is stunning and, as the film progresses, it is quickly evident why the judges at Cannes handed Haneke the ultimate prize.
Narrated by the town’s school teacher in hindsight, we are slowly immersed into the intriguing lives of the townspeople and how, in this particular period of time, strange mishappenings overarch each individual family’s story: the blunt, perverse doctor (whose CGI-heavy horse riding accident catalyzes the story) and his two children, including the sweet, innocent Rudi who manages to arise from it all one of the few heroes; the town’s Baron and Baroness whose industry drives the town’s economy and their son; the adulteress midwife and her retarded son; the ruthless pastor and his two deviously adventurous children – leaders of a pack whose assumed child innocence is ultimately questioned; and the widowed steward and his family’s dilemma between justice and survival.
Each intriguing family could almost hold the film together on their own and up until the last act, we wondered why time was being utilized on the school teacher’s courtship of the Baron’s nanny. Other than one particularly wonderful exchange between the teacher and the nanny’s father, this story line fails to live up to the enthrall of its parallel plots. However, funneling into a ‘who-done-it’ of sorts, the school teacher and his narration become instrumental to the film, serving as the only character the audience can trust after the town is driven into a corner, when a series of sinister acts of terrorism are mysteriously committed and implied to be punishment of some sort on the victims and their families.
As it all draws to a close, we come to realize that the story is in fact not about the mystery at all, but rather simply an ode to the haunting group of characters that make up the town, which, ultimately, is the film’s protagonist. While watching “The White Ribbon” after four hours of subtitles in “Che – The Argentine” and “35 Shots Of Rum” at 9:15 PM on a weeknight probably wasn’t the smartest idea, the fact that we were attentive, receptive and captivated throughout the two and a half hours is further testament to Haneke’s excellent work. [A-]
