The White Ribbon - B+

Rated R, on DVD and Blu-ray
In German, 144 minutes, Trailer

In a small Northern German town, violent crimes and accidents begin occurring in the summer of 1913. At first they appear unrelated, but when strange coincidences arise, the 30 year old schoolteacher tries to connect and solve them. The schoolteacher also serves as the narrator and he is likely an unreliable one since he is recounting the events decades later . . .

The spectacular high-contrast black and white cinematography makes it look like classic 1950s Ingmar Bergman. The cast of unknowns is superb with memorable faces filling each role. Director Michael Haneke gets authentic performances out of the children and adults alike. There are dozens of distinct characters which are juggled beautifully. The lack of a main character puts Haneke center stage and he makes the most of it. His camera holds still, allowing things to play out realistically. He also holds onto shots longer than expected which gives the film an unusual feel reminiscent of his own Cache. Like that film, the answer to the mystery(s) is open for interpretation and lends itself to an intellectual discussion. Haneke is much more interested in human behavior, childhood trauma, and class envy than classic story structure.

Given the choice of location and time, Haneke is clearly dissecting the roots of Nazi fascism. Early in the narration, the schoolteacher describes the horrors that later arise in Germany. With the numerous Christian references (the white ribbon is a symbol of renewed purity), it's clear Haneke feels that German fascism was born out of strict, fundamentalist Protestantism. Haneke cites other potential contributing causes (including income disparity and abusive parents). It would seem suppression and hypocrisy could be initiating factors as well (all of which would help explain fascism in Catholic Italy and atheist Russia).The lack of adult role models in the film is alarming and thoughts about the accelerating moral decay in America spring to mind easily. Indeed, the closing shot at a chapel has the congregation looking at the screen, indicating we should be aware of our own actions and how they affect others. A heavy-handed lesson to be sure, but one that bears repeating and remembering. The film has shocking moments of R-rated violence and sex, but the harshest scene is when the town doctor dumps his lover, belittling everything about her. This will be too ambiguous for some and too accusatory for many. My initial reaction was frustration, but the film's complexity and ambition has grown on me. B+