nurika Reviews

The White Ribbon (2009)

A Masterly Tale on the Circulation of Violence

[8/10 · 19 November 2009]

White Ribbon focuses on a pre World War I German town and surveys the evolution of violent, wild incidents resembling punishments indicted on certain individuals. We are provided access to the story from the point of view of the town teacher, whose recollective voice-over interposes throughout the film. The narration competently obscures the culprits, thereby attributing the responsibility for the rage, and its (hypocritical) social incorporation to the whole society rather than certain "abnormal" characters.

In movie circles,White Ribbon is widely regarded as depicting the evolution of a microcosm of a proto-fascist society (which is to a certain extent viable by the way). However, the movie is a less Germany-specific and more universal parable on the socialization of rage and violence, on the evolution of the social circulation of rage and violence. The film follows a route from local (Germany) to universal, coming up with far reaching arguments, just as Foucault focuses on 18-19th century France and presents arguments on the evolution of prison and punishment systems.

Considering Haneke's entire filmography, it is evident that the director has always been interested in philosophical takes on pschology and human interaction, without historicizing his filmic arguments strictly, i.e., without attributing time spans/societies to them. If we leave the mediocrity of the enterprise aside, Haneke's recent remake of Funny Games shot-for-shot, yet in a different society (USA rather than Germany) fittingly illustrates the point.

After a span of work disappointing for many Haneke fans, the auteur returns with an influential and aptly argumentative film.

Grotesque (2009)

Terrible, owing NOT to the infamous scenes but to the lack of creativity

[2/10 · 27 August 2009]

well i have seen this film at an unofficial screening,and i knew that i am neither disgusted nor thrilled by the body horror scenes (cutting of organs, blood-wash etc), i can really 'keep that as just a part of the narrative' as it were, and evaluate the film for its cinematic virtues. so i am not going to judge the film for not meeting any expectations of disgust/excitement,but rather point out that

it really has no plot, and no visuality to speak about, i guess the film crew relied on the snuff-ish scenes to make up for the costs,because other than them, the movie is devoid of anything at all worth mentioning. as a counter-example, i could speak about ring (both USA and jap. versions), saw series, 28 days/weeks later, all of which present various points of view, subtexts, sequences of elaborate cinematography etc., and which all, in my opinion, deserve being watched several times in ones life time. so believe it or not, its not my elitism, extreme high modernist tastes etc. by all means, this film is a crap