The White Ribbon

*Winner Palme d'Or at 2009 Cannes Film Festival*

Long time QFT favourite Michael Haneke is on top form in The White Ribbon, a beautifully constructed tapestry of malice and intrigue set in a rural village in pre-World War I Germany. A rich, detailed work laden with sinister undertones and evil this is Haneke’s unique take on the classic whodunnit, full of mystery and taut tension.

The film is structured around a string of misfortunes that befall the citizens of Eichwald, an agricultural community where half the population works for the Baron and all, especially the children, are influenced by the stern Protestant pastor.

Weaving together the stories of a number of characters the film begins with a mysterious accident in which the local doctor falls foul of a trip wire planted at the gate to his house. Thus begins a series of strange, malevolent events in the village: the son of the local baron is found flogged, a barn is burned down, a mentally ill child is found brutally tortured. Each incident implies that a punishment is being carried out, but neither the police nor villagers can uncover who is responsible.

An unsettling depiction of what people are capable of, Haneke’s village is rampant with cruelty and injustice and is a chilling premonition of German history over the following 30 years.

Filmed in luminous black and white and written by Haneke himself (with script guidance from the legendary Jean-Claude Carriere), The White Ribbon is a stunning multi-layered piece with a disturbing core underneath a beautifully shot and composed surface. This is a contemporary masterpiece from one of the world’s greatest film makers.