The White Ribbon (15)

Haneke at his magisterial best, winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2009

Director: Michael Haneke
Starring: Christian Friedel, Ulrich Tukur, Susanne Lothar
Germany, 2009, 2 hours 25 minutes, subtitles

Mon 1 March 8.40pm, Thur 4 11.00am & 8.15pm The Courtyard Hereford

In an isolated North German village where the local Baron still holds sway the feudal structure is threatened by a series of mysterious incidents that suggest a nascent rebellion against a patriarchal, deeply Protestant world soon to be swept away by World War 1. Subjected to extreme discipline at home, a pack of creepy children roam the village with a look in their eyes that belies their innocent, blonde appearance. Beautifully performed and shot in Haneke's detached, magisterial style this has an air of spite and malice that reminds one of The Crucible in the way it suggests a link between domestic repression and public disorder.