I have a visceral reaction every time I see one of Haneke’s films, I physically react to them and honestly I can’t verbalize why they have such strong power on me. Last night I finally watched “The White Ribbon”, I had the DVD for months on my desk without daring to watch it. Again my guts felt a stroke from a beautifully orchestrated film, set on a small town where imminent tension arises mysteriously to disrupt the balance of an extremely rigid society. How their previous behavior led to such violent and brutal end? How much control and safety for a society can be created through strict education? The characters in the film are loaded with tension that all seem to be holding, adults present their other controlled self more naturally, while kids reveal the process and struggles of growing up withholding and building these tensions that will explode eventually. This is probably my personal take on the film since that relates to the topic of my thesis. But in any case, a wonderful film with great sensibility to question our behaviors.
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