Das weiße Band (The White Ribbon)
2009
*****
Director: Michael Haneke
Cast: Christian Friedel, Burghart Klaussner, Ulrich Tukur, Rainer Bock, Leonie Benesch
At the brink of World War One, the idyllic village of Eichwald in Northern Germany is stirred by a series of sinister acts of violence. Are the children, who grow up to be the generation of Nazis, acting out against their repressive parents? Are the workers rebelling against the class system? Are these malicious acts cunningly planned or the work of a sick mind? Haneke's tense, intricate and hypnotic mystery stays with you for days, not least because of all the unanswered questions. The film is stunningly shot in black and white by Christian Berger, and strongly acted by adults and children alike.
