Village of the Damned, German style

Rating: 7/10 (4 July 2010)

There should be a rule of drama that says, the more intense the buildup, the more the need for resolution. Sometimes loose ends work. But when the entire story is a loose end, I think it's taking art too far. If a story is going to be unremittingly morose, then it accrues a debt to the audience that should be paid off.
A wise man once was asked what is the lesson of the Holocaust. He replied that there is no lesson. Sometimes there is atonement, sometimes not. Is this what Haneke s trying to say? I think that unloading a big downer on the audience obliges the auteur to explain himself.
Compare this one to another German film, The Lives of Others. Both deal with the dark side of human nature (German culture seems preoccupied with the dark side), both leave evils unatoned, but Lives of Others leaves a beautiful grace-note. As beautifully shot, acted and edited as it is -- for which it earns my 7 -- White Ribbon leaves only a cosmic funk to wallow in. It's an admirable film, but not an enjoyable one.