The King is dead, long live the King...

Rating: 10/10 (29 August 2011)

One of the great losses for the cinema was the death of Claude Sautet. This loss now is substituted by the outstanding presence of Michael Henecke. "The White Ribbon" is another remarkable masterpiece. Observing closely the cinematography we can see how Henecke invites us with his camera movements. If the scene requires attention, is as if Henecke is trying to say to us: "Come with me! Look at this character's expression! That's it! Now watch closely! Can you see the character's eyes? Can you see the impassivity in the character's face?" So the camera gently moves till it closes in the character's expression. I am not going to quote all the scenes in which these occurs... All the others, I'll leave it to the expectators perspicacity... The one I am going to quote: The scene in which "the minister" gives communion to the congregation that in the case are his own children. As far as the story is a parable to the pre World War I society, with all its idiosyncrasies... Side by side with the disciplines, strict moral standarts, the debacle, the lies, the traison. This is one of the movies that must be watched, re-watched, and kept "with fondness" to be appreciated in those reflection moments, after we have been bombarded by the news journals (most of the times things that we would not like in absolute that they existed). In a scale of one to ten, my vote is ten. (masterpiece).