The White Ribbon

Dir. Michael Haneke
Starring: Christian Friedel, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur, Ursina Lardi, Burghart Klaussner
Germany / Austria / France / Italy, 2009, 144 mins.

Themes of morality are explored in Michael Haneke’s new film, The White Ribbon.

The film is set in a small, northern village in Germany, a year before the start of WWI. As the story unfolds, the school teacher recounts the strange series of events and accidents that strike the people living in the village. First, the doctor is catapulted off his horse in a mysterious riding accident. Later, two young boys are found badly beaten. An entire crop of cabbage is hacked and ruined. In contrast to the “evil” incidents plaguing the village, the children are made to wear white ribbons over their mostly somber-colored clothes to remind them of their purity.

The White Ribbon is quiet and serious, shot in black and white, some scenes without any dialogue at all. The performances by the adult and many child actors are impeccable and intense. What I liked best about the film was the way a seemingly-simple narrative unfolded so delicately and intricately. From the moment the film opened, The White Ribbon had the audience holding their breath, taking in every quiet, subtle detail the film had to offer. The White Ribbon was awarded the 2009 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.