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Showing all 29 reviews...
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Through an original screenplay, the authour/director gives us an understanding of how some of the atrocities that happened in WWII, could actually have happened. The story is about repressed German children who were abused and treated cruelly within their own families before they became adults just prior to and during WWII. The German community in which these children lived accepted and were apathetic about the mistreatment of their children. These abused children, when adults, inflicted comparable atrocities on minorities, physical weaklings, etc. during WWII. By example, these adults did not recognize that what was done to them as chldren, and what they then did as adults, was wrong.
8/10
11.8.2010 -
tanner1@ - age: 50+
Definitely something to think about in this film.
8/10
16.3.2010 -
torrancekirby@ - age: 50+
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[ATTENTION: This review reveals content of the movie.]
The White Ribbon: the essence of the evil Disturbing! Not because of the amount of blood (there is none), nor the scorn (there is none), nor the shocking images (there are none) But, you feel the film running around your head, your bones and your muscles even after hours, days have passed... How to film evil? Not that soapopularish evil of reality shows, not that evil of the Manichean struggle against good, not that evil we see in others, but the evil that is within us all. This is what goes on in "The White Ribbon", by Michael Haneke, a profound example of how to shoot the essence of the evil. To this end, the Austrian director uses a fundamental archetype - the purity of children - to dismantle it and slaughter it into frames. The image of the angelic child, which still inhabits the Western imagination, even though we have been made aware of Freud’s theories for nearly a century, is gradually disassembled. Representations such as these of the purity of children or the ruling adult male – regardless the resistance of the minorities – are able to impose themselves when Reason takes a nap. In the film, in a subtle matter, the children are the architects and pursuers of plans against the different - but their role are not explicit, thus watching their unveiling process is very disturbing. You know they are the masterminds all the time without any evidence, without being able to blame on them. Their alibi of purity blinds us the same way we are blinded by the whiteness of the snow. Everything that is different and outside the normative rules of that small community are basically wiped out: whether it is the dysfunctional family of the physician of the village (the moral question), the midwife and her mentally handicapped son (the physical/ethnic issue), and the gap between the poor peasant family and the aristocracy of the village (the economic question) Many critics see this triptych - as the allegory of the Nazi consolidation which will emerge two decades later. I believe it is a valid vision, despite its shallowness. The question is beyond the chronological sequence of historical events. The essential inconvenience of the movie is in the pact made with the evil that lies within us all. When we silence ourselves in the presence of evil, when we deceive ourselves and distort the facts to avoid facing evil, when our vice is our passivity, or worse, our denial in face of horrific events so we can keep an unambiguous conscience, or, still, when we prefer taking the easier path of believing that it is all good. At this point we are all evil. (TEXT WRITTEN UNDER THE VIGILANCE OF REASON) (By Vitor Angelo, transl. Sueli F. Lima)
10/10
11.3.2010 -
sueli,f,lima@ - age: 36-49
This is a cinematographic masterpiece. Anybody who has any interest in photography must watch this film. But that's not to say that Das Weisse Band is just pretty camera work, it's so much more.
10/10
8.3.2010 -
polish_freak69@ - age: 18-25
A different kind of mystery. The answer is not 'who'. It lies first in 'why'. Haneke has put together a brilliant film but does not give you the answers either on screen nor in interviews. Like Cache, asking the right questions will steer you in the proper direction.
9/10
7.3.2010 -
m,j,brown@ - age: 50+
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Totally stood out among all the films I saw at the festival. Evil in ways you might never have thought evil could exist.
10/10
2.3.2010 -
zinka@ - age: 50+
I was so much into that movie that I couldn't believe it had already ended. I was expecting a second part where the children have grown up and prepare themselves to go to war (second world war).. but anyhow it felt at times like a farce, like a satire and at times - yes I did laugh at the discourse of some 'adult' protagonists and also did laugh at the upper pretense of kids being mistreated where one realizes that these children are monsters, the real question to ask is when did those children become monsters? - it simply felt like an acidic dramatic upsurge. I don't give it a 10 because I never give 10...
9/10
1.3.2010 -
panajoyce@ - age: 36-49
Flawless! Brillant! A great piece of Art.
10/10
1.3.2010 -
theatrenevrose@ - age: 36-49
Haneke at his finest. This film isn't for everyone as it may demand more from the viewer than some people are used to. An allegory of the roots of fascism in Germany. The film leaves a lot to ponder at the end with many loose ends of the "White Ribbon" left untied. This may bother some but others will be captivated. This film with out a doubt will take the Oscar for best Foreign Film.
10/10
25.2.2010 -
trailofdead@ - age: 26-35
Nope. Doesn't cut it. Waste of my time and money. This is too bizarre and belongs in a film festival displaying eclectic styles but not for general consumption.
1/10
25.2.2010 -
mcgillmdphd@ - age: 36-49
Riveting. A superbly made film, flawlessly evoking its time and place, drawing us in so that we too feel the disquiet created by the strangely minatory happenings we are told of. The sudden maelstrom of larger outside events sweeps all away before the villagers - or we - can fully grasp the meaning of what has occurred, and we are left to muse on the possible connection between the two. Thought provoking in the best way.
9/10
23.2.2010 -
izput-sprach@ - age: 50+
Well I thought it was worth seeing. It's well acted and beautifully filmed. However it does drag, and parts of the plot are left to your interpretation. I found it quite a hard movie to take, but it left me thinking. It has to be noted the person I went with gave it a 2/10. So I guess it's that kind of movie.
7/10
22.2.2010 -
peiffergreen@ - age: 50+
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What a film! I left the theater thinking how strange this movie is. It did not make much sense to me. It's very difficult to understand what really happened especially at the end... I left with a lot of questions so many that I forgot my scarf in the room Tuesday Feb. 16th. It was at the 6:35 pm show so if anybody found it on that day please be kind to bring it back at the cinema. It was a white, beige and grey acrylic scarf so no value except that as it was a gift it had a sentimental value. Thank you.
5/10
18.2.2010 -
ballereauc@ - age: 36-49
I have been watching films made by Michael Haneke for quite a while and this is one of my favorites. For those of you who complain that the film is "too long" or "boring" or is "too difficult to understand" I would suggest that rather than dismiss the film for whatever shortcomings you imagine that you look to your own shortcomings as an audience. The film rewards close attention and it is beautifully acted and shot. A haunting look at the dissolution of a small German town in the year before the outbreak of WWI. Excellent, but it requires thought, something that a few "reviewers" were unwilling to expend.
10/10
16.2.2010 -
wilbursimon@ - age: 26-35
Great Story, beautiful cinematography. Deep thoughts - deeper afterthoughts if you enjoy thinking. Well characterized village society. The controversy inside and outside the physical boundaries.
9/10
16.2.2010 -
csilla1@ - age: 50+
It felt like I was watching a twisted version of "Little House on the Prairie" only in German and in black and white. Nothing intellectual about this movie, only the fact that it's a foreign film. If it was shot in the Canadian Prairies in english using the same type of actors, it wouldn't even get a nod.
3/10
15.2.2010 -
peartree67@ - age: 36-49
This movie was mesmerizing. The whole audience did not move at all. Even when the movie was over people did not get up quickly. This is a MUST see for anyone with any kind of grey matter and class working to their advantage. You will not be disappointed. The acting was incredible and the setting was like you were living 100 years ago. Do miss out seeing the movie in the Theatre.
10/10
14.2.2010 -
jiohnsfun@ - age: 36-49
Humm, good theme, depressing reality. Worth seeing.
7/10
13.2.2010 -
moon_sun74@ - age: 36-49
I picked it :( it had all the makings of a good film and some good parts. Just way too long. Thats all, way too long.
2/10
10.2.2010 -
thecatcherinthecity@ - age: 18-25
Great story line... if it was a book!!! I didn't do my research and perhaps that was my fault but I recommend this movie for boring couples with a sick fetish for movies with no climax or several climaxes with no purpose!!!
3/10
9.2.2010 -
gangsta_sweetz187@ - age: 18-25
Great visual, beautiful scenes, landscapes for a black and white film. Story kept me wondering. Not for people with short attention span. Good acting. Leaves you thinking in the end.
9/10
9.2.2010 -
enzo11@ - age: 26-35
This is bad, bad, bad and more bad. Nothing redeeming at all about this film. Is there no one out there who knows how to make a good film? Can I get my $$$ back?
2/10
9.2.2010 -
arewehereyet@ - age: 36-49
A sculpture in the world of cinema. The relationship of the villagers is a definite allegory to German society at the time. There is a definite link between the series of events in this film and both World Wars. You will need to understand a bit of history and enjoy thinking in order to appreciate this film. The camara work is fabulous!
8/10
8.2.2010 -
angberr@ - age: 36-49
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This is a fantastic film in every respect - superbly acted and directed. It will leave you thinking and questioning the director's message afterwards. If you like intellectually stimulating films (and are particularly interested in history and sociology) - a must see.
9/10
8.2.2010 -
ssbyeyo@ - age: 18-25
This director, Michael Haneke, is a bizarre fellow. The film is difficult to follow and understand. I couldn't figure out what was happening in the film. Not a clue. I liked the film being shot in Black and White, a nice touch for dramatic effect or to be really artsy-fartsy--but it is really a snooze-fest. Bring along a comfy pillow and blanket.
3/10
8.2.2010 -
joeljustleft@ - age: 26-35
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This is a very strange film. I do not know what to make of it. It is very slow (My BF nodded off a few times) and I was getting sleepy too. Certainly different if you ike weird, strange, bizarre and too long.
3/10
7.2.2010 -
jilljustleft@ - age: 18-25
I love it... amazing camera work and just nominated to the Oscars.
9/10
3.2.2010 -
lisa@ - age: 26-35
The best film yet about the return of the repressed, and the best film of 2010, I cannot recommend The White Ribbon enough to those who like their drama dark and Freudian. Also, thinking any film, let alone this one, is a problem to "solve" won't really help you understand what this movie is all about. It's not a "whodunit" so much as a "whyduzit."
10/10
22.1.2010 -
darkthirty@ - age: 36-49
I felt compelled to comment on this movie b/c I'm swelling with uncertainty just seeing it. I thought this was an allegory of the rise o fascism in Europe but its obscurities may be far greater. It's a strange film and a puzzle to be solved.. 7/10.
7/10
16.1.2010 -
gloria_k87@ - age: 18-25
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