The White Ribbon

Austrian auteur Michael Haneke continues to challenge audiences with the release of his eagerly awaited Palme d’Or winning film.Set in a quaint looking German village before the onset of World War 1 this sprawling saga examines a series of mysterious occurrences that befalls the local residents.

These include a suspicious riding accident that badly injures the local doctor (Rainer Bock), a fatal workplace accident and the brutal torture of a handicapped urchin.Although the source and cause of the unexplained “accidents” provides the main thrust of the narrative this flick deliberately avoids being a conventional whodunit and prefers to concentrate on the underlying evils and machinations of this patriarchal society.This award winning drama is also being touted as a dark parable which attempts to account for the emergence of fascism within the next generation of Germans.

Whichever way one deciphers the curious goings on, there is no doubt the ultimate appeal of this intentionally inaccessible and glacially paced drama is that it is open to interpretation.

Hence, this work of art is sure to evoke heated debate among discerning filmgoers.

THE VERDICT...

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