evil starts early

Rating: 8/10 (13 February 2010)

Having seen a few of Michael Haneke's movies, I expected something good from "Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte" ("The White Ribbon" in English). It's certainly a good one, and in fact, I think that it might be a look at events to come in Germany's history. Set on the eve of WWI, it portrays a series of unsettling events in a village, and no one can figure out who is responsible. As events unfold, it throws into question just how much we know about the various characters.
What I mean about the possibility that it deals with later events in German history is this. It begins to look as though the abused children are behind the misdeeds, most likely as a result of their unpleasant upbringings. Could these children become the people who would later make up the Nazi Party? That's just conjecture, so don't quote me, but it is something to think about.
All in all, this is definitely a good movie. I haven't seen all the Best Foreign Language Film nominees, but this one would certainly be a good choice. I wholeheartedly recommend it.