Sunday, December 19, 2010

Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte (2009)


Sony Pictures Classics
Directed by Michael Haneke
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Starz)

A small German town is being terrorized by accidents and deaths that no one can explain. We slowly get to know its residents only to find out practically every family has deep psychological problems of some sort. The worst is probably the minister (who else?), who runs his family with an iron fist, tormenting and torturing his young children in the name of love. Next worst would probably be the town doctor, who is sexually abusing his young daughter, when he is not slapping around his midwife. Well, someone is kidnapping, torturing and killing the children of these well-respected citizens, who could it be? When not subjected to this unending parade of cliche-ridden angst, we also get to see a horse tripped by wire and a bird killed with scissors. The beautiful widescreen black and white photography by Christian Berger is wasted in this poor imitation of Ingmar Bergman.

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