The Meaning of The Film The White Ribbon

Michael Haneke, an Austrian film director and screenplay writer showcases that cinema can be a means of storytelling, questioning and examining social problems facing the society. In 2009 Haneke released his 10th feature film called The White Ribbon. The film denotes to be a dark and ominous film which explores the social behaviors and deeper psychology of a small German village on the brink of World War I. Through the unfolding of strange and violent events, the audience is able to witness and explore the stringent social conditioning of the time, and discern how it contributed to the progression of Germany’s future as an oppressive communist regime.

Haneke’s Background and interests

Haneke was born in Munich, Germany in 1942, three years before the end of the Second World War. He was the son of actor and director Fritz Haneke, and actress Beatrix von Degenschild and therefore cinema appears to have been inevitable in his genealogy. Haneke studied philosophy, psychology, and theatre, releasing his debut film in 1989 with The Seventh Continent at the age of 46. Subsequent films that followed include Benny’s Video (1992), Funny Games (1997), The Piano Teacher (2001), Cache (2005), The White Ribbon (2009), and Amour (2012).[1] The recurrent themes found in Haneke’s films focus on the darker spectrum of life, highlighting the human experiences of isolation, alienation, and the effects of social and psychological wounds on a person. Above all the central theme that plays throughout all of Haneke’s films, is violence. However, not at all in the over exaggerated, fantastical, celebrated way in which we experience and enjoy violence found in Hollywood film today.[2]

Instead, the violence portrayed in Haneke’s films are real, confronting, and at times extremely disturbing to the audience. Not always a physical violence, but an emotional, mental, psychological violence that triggers ones deepest subconscious reaction. Through Haneke’s films the notion of violence and spectatorship are also explored, the audience becomes confronted by their own personal relationship to violence, and how they process it. Author Lawrence Chua states it perfectly, “Haneke’s narratives point toward a consumer-driven culture with a naive understanding of violence, a lack of respect for its dangerous, transformative power. In a society where basic relationships between people are mediated by images, reality has lost its realness. Haneke reminds us of this by pulling us into the trick of the spectacle and then exposing the trick itself.

He reveals not only how it has seduced us, but in what ways we’ve been complicit in the seduction. In sharpening our responses to the world around us, he gives us a piece of truth, even as he deprives us of peace of mind.”[4] Michael Haneke’s film, The White Ribbon is centered on sacrificial violence, community building and morality in the face of fascism. Haneke has also been on the forefront to reject the Hollywood movies. He does this through alleging that the movies fail to portray social constructions and problems that face the society. Therefore, he has been significant in portraying how historical aspect can be made intriguing in movies.

Fascism, World War I and Third Reich in The White Ribbon

Numerous novelists, filmmakers, and dramatists have devoted themselves to illustrating the events that culminated to the outbreak of fascism and World War I. Filmmakers including Haneke gave their works a nostalgic touch that resonates with the gruesome and brutal events in history of humanity. The masterly approach in the film, The White Ribbon reveals how fascism developed into a radical authoritative movement in the early 20th century and mirrored electrifying moments in the history of the Germans. According to the film, the movement brought in a lot of changes in the nature of war and human relations in the society. Nonetheless, Haneke opposes the idea that his movie is not grounded on fascism but rather on social issues. It is clear that the film explores a generation of children that grew up to become the Third Reich and ensued a rebellious generation.[5] As such, it is important to note that the events of fascism and World War I were fundamental in shaping the American history.

Haneke is one of the most controversial filmmakers in history. Notably, he has talent in exploring social issues in order to attract his viewers. The film, The White Ribbon examines issues that are related to terrorism by incorporating Germany’s fascism and the brutality of World War I. The violence is the root cause of fascism. The perpetrators of violence are the children who rebelled against the disciplinary power of patriarchal authority. According to the film, the rebellion culminated in the First World War. This created a generation of Nazism followers. Indeed, the film as a cinematic exploration of the relationship between the authoritarian regimes of the juvenile subjects. The significance of the The White Ribbon film lies in the violence perpetrated in the past. According to Haneke, violence is part of the society and this social issue has contributed to be a major problem in many societies and it a standard mainstream in the entire movie. It is easy to conclude that conflict is what led to the onset of First World War. Haneke’s movie deals with the rise of the European fascism and it is rooted in historical context and children are the central figure.[6]

The film also explains about the events that led to the outbreak of the First World War. It portrays disturbed children with dangerous potential. The worrying events of the film makes it to demand attention and shapes thrilling and a tragic plot as well as overshadows the sinister mystery. Indeed, the events of the film cultivate an intense atmosphere of great mistrust.

Third Reich was established in Germany after World War I and the Third Reich regime proved to be an overwhelming aspect as it turned generation of children into rebellion that waged war against the enemies. The inexperienced children were essentially used for suicide missions. Another reason was to address the problem of racial struggle and a measure of cultivate security. The children ended up being Nazi members and perpetrated damaging deeds in the face of humanity. Another reason was that the Nazi regime would be able to manipulate the minds of future Germans and thus conform to their agenda. Notably, greater efforts were directed at targeting children in modes like offering school course on racial purity and mandatory youth organizations. Besides, the regime wanted to take advantage of the child’s ignorance and pass the propaganda messages. The outcomes of this move proved to be disastrous. The children grew up with the Nazi ideology ingrained in their minds. They were taught to hate other races especially Jews as they had grown up listening to anti-Semitic and racist lectures. The racists inspired slogan in children ended up being treacherous and culminated into adverse effects.

The film narrates violent attacks which disrupt the cynical life experienced in a village found in Germany. The seminal movie examines Protestant village found in Germany on the eve of World War I. It sheds light to the origins of cruelty which resulted in massive destruction. The film portrays fascism through the eye of the children. From the movie, one can be able to see that the sequence of troubling events disrupts the lives of people. The viewer notices that Rainer Bock, the local doctor is badly injured after his horse tripped over a hidden wire. Again, a tenant farmer is killed in a mysterious accident and moreover, a boy is kidnapped and brutally tortured.[7] All these aspects among many another showcase how the social problem escalated and resulted in a domestic tyrant where even children are bet mercilessly.[8] The film poses the question of children upbringing that contribute to the Nazi horrors and tyranny in the Germany decent. Indeed the film sheds light of a community ruled in malice, brutality and envy. The authoritative regimes alludes to truism characterized with hypocrisy, class division and flogging children clouding the entire plot. The film is unsettling due to fascism tendencies evident in the story. From the film, children from a Village of the Damned are astonishing and tension is created between realism and drama and it blends innocence with darkness.

The disturbing images of the children are sensitive and tainted thus painting a heartbreaking sequence in which a young boy Rudi learns about the mortality by killing her sister. Notably, the film is a provocative, challenging, heartbreaking and haunting and burst with the ideas of terrific naturalistic performances. It is a masterful of color which denotes to be a fatal in face of the Germans. The film examines a generation of children who, after two decades prove to be a very baleful force in the society. The children provide a pedagogy of terror and authoritative regime together with the social genesis to the Third Reich which came into existence after Nazi came to power.

Conclusion

The White Ribbon is a movie that centers on fascism, First World War, and the Third Reich. The movie portrays historical accounts that were fundamental in shaping the world. Even though the producer denies the idea that the movies is built on violence, it is clear to the reader that it reveals the unsettling events that occurred in the past. The film is a masterpiece and depicts Haneke as a brilliant producer. The Nazi regime perpetrated Fascism which culminated to devastating outcomes. It ensued an era of terror, tyranny and bloodshed and this is portrayed in Haneke’s movie, The White Ribbon.

Bibliography

Chua, Lawrence, and Michael Haneke. ”Michael Haneke.” BOMB, no. 80 (2002): 55. http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy1.library.usyd.edu.au/stable/40426706.

Cohen, Hubert I. ”Screening Modernism: European Art Cinema, 1950-1980”. Projections 4, no. 1 (2010). doi:10.3167/proj.2010.040112.

Hake, Sabine. ”Art And Exploitation: On the Fascist Imaginary in 1970S Italian Cinema”. Studies in European Cinema 7, no. 1 (2010): 11-19. doi:10.1386/seci.7.1.11_1.

Lehrer, Steven. Reich Chancellery and Fuhrerbunker Complex. Reprint, Jefferson: Mcfarland, 2014.

Neumeyer, Martin H., and Leo C. Rosten. ”Hollywood: The Movie Colony, The Movie Makers.”. American Sociological Review 7, no. 2 (1942): 296. Doi: 10.2307/2085206.

Stewart, Garrett. ”Pre-War Trauma: Haneke’s The White Ribbon.” Film Quarterly 63, no. 4 (2010): 40-47. doi:10.1525/fq.2010.63.4.40.

[1]

Neumeyer, Martin H., and Leo C. Rosten. ”Hollywood: The Movie Colony, The Movie Makers.”. American Sociological Review 7, no. 2 (1942): 296. Doi: 10.2307/2085206

[2]Stewart, Garrett. ”Pre-War Trauma: Haneke’s The White Ribbon.” Film Quarterly 63, no. 4 (2010): 40-47. doi:10.1525/fq.2010.63.4.40.

[3]Cohen, Hubert I. “Screening Modernism: European Art Cinema, 1950-1980”. Projections 4, no. 1 (2010). doi:10.3167/proj.2010.040112.

[4]

Chua, Lawrence, and Michael Haneke. ”Michael Haneke.” BOMB, no. 80 (2002): 55. http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy1.library.usyd.edu.au/stable/40426706.

[5]

Cohen, Hubert I. ”Screening Modernism: European Art Cinema, 1950-1980”. Projections 4, no. 1 (2010). doi:10.3167/proj.2010.040112.

[6]

Neumeyer, Martin H., and Leo C. Rosten. ”Hollywood: The Movie Colony, The Movie Makers.”. American Sociological Review 7, no. 2 (1942): 296. Doi: 10.2307/2085206, 12

[7]

Neumeyer, Martin H., and Leo C. Rosten. ”Hollywood: The Movie Colony, The Movie Makers.”. American Sociological Review 7, no. 2 (1942): 296. Doi: 10.2307/2085206, 7

[8]

Hake, Sabine. ”Art And Exploitation: On the Fascist Imaginary in 1970S Italian Cinema”. Studies in European Cinema 7, no. 1 (2010): 11-19. doi:10.1386/seci.7.1.11_1.

[9]Lehrer, Steven. Reich Chancellery and Fuhrerbunker Complex. Reprint, Jefferson: Mcfarland, 2014., 5