The White Ribbon

It's always a treat being able to see a filmmaker at their best. Few things can be as inspiring, thought-provoking, or perception-changing as watching a film that is complete on every level. For some time, Michael Haneke has been that filmmaker for me. Haneke studied psychology, philosophy and theatrical sciences at the University of Vienna, Austria. His films reflect his specialty of study. The depth of his films is so much greater than any mainstream filmmaker it's less like a breath of fresh air and more like a gust.
The White Ribbon is a multi-tiered story focused on a small, pre-WW I German town. Told as a narrative by the town schoolteacher, the White Ribbon is about the dynamics between the adults and the children after a pair of crimes are committed. This is not a film for people who choose not to think about their movies. Most Haneke's aren't. This film perhaps more than any because it poses many questions but offers few answers, at least on the surface. The beauty of the film, as with any Haneke, is the 'answers' lie in the characters. How they act in relation to their circumstance and people around them provides the evidence the viewer needs. In this regard the film is as much a mystery story as a drama. Trying to figure out who commits the crimes that incite the story is part of the joy. Even though we're never privy to the answer. I feel as if I am doing a disservice to the film by not mentioning the camera work or the acting, but the character dynamics are such that on that basis alone this film excels.
As this critic is concerned, the situation in town is a microcosm of what led to the outbreak of WW I. The anger and envy of the classes, the age groups, and so on contributed to the shooting of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarejevo. Near the end of the film, the narrator emphasizes how the war came about. Is this to emphasize my theory? Perhaps. But with Haneke, one can never tell.