Th White Ribbon Review

Michael Haneke has created and directed many gloomy and dark movies that detail the many problems in the society and ‘The White Ribbon’ shows just that.

 

In the pre-war years in North Germany a small farm village undertakes violent and criminal events within the community that creates alot of changes between friends.

Through the eyes of a schoolteacher you are taken through a series of lives of the children and villagers throughout 1913 – 1914, straight away you are introduced to the powerful influences over the estate of the pastor; doctor and baron.

The main subject of this film is how the children undertook constand beating and punishment by their own parents and teachers, watching these events happen is hard to watch but you cant help but find yourself being sucked into the storyline and the characters within in. 

Love and real relationships between each other are nonexistent, the formal fake community becomes habitual to all and unnatural.

The enforced act to be the right and perfect family is left outside while behind closed doors the characters you thought you new change in seconds.

The relationship between the parents and their children is in some ways emotionless along with showing no affection, watching the ongoing punishment of the children it is clear to see that the actions towards each other is a reflection of their parents.

Would the parents carry on the punishments knowing that their innocent mistakes would influence the younger gerneration views of what is right and what is wrong?

 

Black and white

Michael Haneke decision to make this film in black and white created this mysterious and strange perception of the countryside.

Many scenes where children had been missing and trying to be found in big dark woods creates a new view of how a quite countryside village can change to be haunting and deceiving in a short period of time.

Filming in black and white gave a real historical context as well as a photographic effect from start to finish; the sharp picture is many scenes added an artistic view and strong contrasts.

Natural lighting had been used for outdoor scenes resulting in brighter settings and contrasts, gas and candle lighting was only used for indoors. The difference in quality of the scenes would change from being textured and having shading too bright blended in accents. 

Sound and music

A real sense of time was shown in the lack of music and long pauses in scenes; the hollowing silence that fills the air between characters builds so much tension you feel the need to make something happen. Without music the pace between scenes is slow and sometimes quite long making the subject matter last longer.

For example the scene where the priest children had been given a punishment of 10 lashes to teach them a lesson, watching the oldest son walk from one room to the next in silence makes you feel on edge. The boy then walks back into the main room with the Cain and closes the door, the long pause of nothing is nail biting until the waiting moment hits you with a force.

Props and costume

Although everything was seen in two colours (black, white) the costumes fitted in well with the time this film was set. The fashions between famers and the wealthy were easily seen in what was worn, such as fabrics; colours and styles.

Cotton, sack and wool would have been the main fabrics worn by farmers and the community and have been used in simple dark colours by most of the villagers for this movie. The wealthy families wore lighter coloured dress fabrics and more expensive suit materials so show their status in society. 

For many of the women a normal everyday outfit was a blouse, skirt and sometimes a hat. As these were the fashions of that time the film stayed close to the facts with the look and fitting for the woman. The men wore suits and the fabrics proved they were in the upper and middle class, thick fabrics would have been for the men who were quite wealthy. Less expensive fabrics such as flannel could have been afforded by middle class. The working class men wore their overalls or normal plain trousers with a shirt and brace, the mixture of costumes creates a division in the community and stereo types everyone.

 

Every detail in this film looked authentic and helped set the moot, combining the props and the costume you are constantly aware of the historical time these dramas were set in.