The Seeds of War

Rating: Null/10 (28 January 2010)

While this isn't Haneke's best film (his 'glaciation trilogy' and "Code Unknown" are better cinematically, and are better examples of his personal directorial style), it is perhaps his most mature/restrained, since he doesn't resort to what, in his other work, may be seen by some as 'shock tactics' to get his point across. The use of a mystery plot as a way of exploring the characters' psyches and capacities for wrong-doing and self-denial is similar to what he did in "Cache", though the cinematography (which is outstanding in its starkness and formal composition), pacing and acting are more reminiscent of Bergman than any previous Haneke effort.