The White Ribbon

2009, 15 Directed by Michael Haneke

Starring: Christian Friedel, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur, Ursina Lardi 

A German-speaking black and white film two and a half hours in length is not everybody’s cup of tea… unless Michael Haneke is at the helm. Shocking, boring and baffling audiences alike for some time now, the Austrian filmmaker is no stranger to crafting challenging features. The White Ribbon, his overdue Palme d’Or winner, is a dark depiction of a rural town in Northern Germany where disturbing incidents are occurring. We are led through the landscape of Haneke’s lens by a narrator who creates anticipation, but also helps identify the many characters. Although the pace slows, this can be overlooked for what Haneke offers is a ridiculously intriguing insight into a rural town that are being plagued by the unknown. Much like his previous films, most notably Hidden, the route to answers is not as clear-cut as some would prefer – but this is now to be expected. This cup of tea comes with no sugar, but biscuits.

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