Michael Haneke isn’t all that well know to American audiences, and its a shame as I would argue that he is the best director currently working in film. He manipulates the screen in a way few directors can, not by bending audiences to his will but by actually engaging them. That he uses themes and genres that are often considered mindless entertainment is even more impressive, and has lead to many people not really understanding his actual purpose.
When Haneke remade his film Funny Games, about a family whose house is overrun and terrorized by two sociopathic teens it was assumed that Haneke made the film because he hates violence and was preaching against violence in film. But Haneke has no issue with violence in films, for most of his films as disturbingly violent, but rather how violence is fetishized. He uses violence to engage the audience, or if need be, shake them out of their stupor. Which is why the true victim in Funny Games is the audience, as Haneke slowly shifts the events of the film from the screen directly into the auditorium. He didn’t want to make yet another slasher film where the audience giggles with glee at the fool onscreen, but rather drags the audience unwittingly into the terror they would typically dismiss and scoff at.
Which brings us to his latest film, The White Ribbon, which won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival this year, and has been receiving huge acclaim as being yet another masterpiece from a director who seems to churn them out with relative ease. It is a film about a small town in Germany in 1913. An authoritarian town, where the children are subjected to rigid rules and even harsher punishments. But something even more sinister might be occurring. And could the children possibly be behind it?
This trailer comes thanks to the efforts of the good folks working over at Quiet Earth. Its one hell of a film website and I highly recommend making it a regular stop. If you’re not reading Quiet Earth, you’re not a fan of film.
Now everyone knows that The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus is the final film that Heath Ledger was working on when he expired, but besides that this is the latest film from Terry Gilliam, who is truly one of the finest directors working today. I’ve been waiting four years since his last film (Tideland, which is divisive, yet still a masterpiece) and with the release date of October 16th quickly approaching, I was beginning to wonder just when we would start to see some actual footage of the film.
Well, that time has arrived and what is contained within the trailer looks bloody fabulous. October can’t get here soon enough.
I’m cheating a bit as I’ve already seen this terrific film. While it is still early, I can already safely say this is my favorite of the year so far, and it has a good chance of being my favorite for the entire year. Yay for hard science fiction masterpieces!
You would think this would be a difficult weekend to select just one recommendation out of all the movies being released, but really, the multiplex fare looks less then interesting, and the Indy fair while loaded with quality (Slumdog Millionaire and I’ve Loved You So Long), none compares to my selection this week, Let the Right One In. While most may not have much of a stomach for horror films, Let the Right One In is one I think that will appeal to people less then excited by the genre. It is more then a simple vampire film. It is more then a gore filled fright flick. In fact, most of the gore occurs off screen and the film is far from scary. This is a film reliant on atmosphere and character development. It is touching and moving and deeply and painfully honest. I can safely say I have never seen anything like it, and that it is far more then a genre masterpiece, it may be the best film of the year.
As for my DVD pick, it is a relatively easy one as well as Criterion has continued its quest to be Wes Anderson’s personal label by releasing Bottle Rocket this Tuesday. They also are releasing several other films as well on Tuesday, so be sure to stop in their store and checkout the selection. Oh yeah, I hear they are having some sort of fire sale as well.
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