Excellent

Rating: 8/10 (30 January 2012)

According to the director the film is about the danger of elevating ideals of any sort into absolutes, which leads to terrorism. Cautioning the viewer to not simply equate the film with fascism because it is German, but to understand it more universally.
I am not certain if I grasp the film in the way the director apparently intended though. My original reaction was looking at the flaws under the surface of an ordinary village. The film then ends its story without closure, by plan, which left me a little empty at the end.
i thoroughly enjoyed the film. It was wonderfully acted, directed, with great photography, and art direction. There was nothing to dislike about the film. The European Protestant pastor/priest being an overbearing, dominating, relentless task master is becoming stereotypical but it so well done here (the pastor is given humanity. He loves his children, watching his facial expressions as one of his youngest displays sacrificial love to him, is touching. One wonders if the pastor has ever experienced such an act of kindness).
The White Ribbon will be a movie I'll keep thinking about. Highly recommended.