I gave God a chance to kill me.

Rating: 8/10 (24 July 2010)

Tons of accolades for this film: an Oscar nominee, BAFTA nominee, Caesar nominee, triple award winner at Cannes, and many many more.
Michael Haneke makes films that make you think. He doesn't give you the answers. Remember Cache and Funny Games? This film is no different.
Accidents(?) happen and we don't have easy answers. Where is the evil coming from? What will be our response? Usually the response is an increase in authoritarianism. Witness the easy manner in which many Americans were willing to give up their hard won freedom after 9/11 to obtain some quieting of their fear. It is the same everywhere. We do not see the rise of fascism in the film, but we see the seeds being sown.
The children grow up in a paternalistic highly religious society where rich and poor are strictly separated. Children are punished for the slightest infraction, while the adults practice adultery and incest with impunity. There is no love shown anywhere except between the teacher and the nanny.
These are the children that will become the Nazis of the future. Is it this upbringing that caused that? This seems to be what Haneke is trying to say, but he leaves it to us to sort it out.
The film was riveting and the time flew by as we looked at clues to determine who was the source of evil. We will not know, as Heneke leaves that to us also.
The acting was superb, and the cinematography was outstanding.