The White Ribbon

[georg lamshöft]

I'll try to catch up with all the movies I missed and got some "oscar-buzz".

 

I just saw "Das weiße Band" / "The White Ribbon" by Michael Haneke and photographed by Christian Berger.

 

It was a quite expensive movie by German standards (~€12m) and I liked the not very known aspect of small-village society before WW1 (and a portray of the youth which later was responsible for the holocaust) with some interesting scenes. But it wasn't a very exciting movie, too busy avoiding classic dramaturgy. Acting, cinematography and production design was ok but not more.

 

First I thought the academy appreciates a very classic cinematography with "2D-B/W" in contrast to "colour-3D" ;-)

But as I later found out, it wasn't classic at all: they shot it on color stock, made a DI and turned it B/W while heavily manipulating the "look". And this is all what they came up with 15 years after Kaminskis' "Schindlers List" (real B/W)?

 

What have I missed?

[Jason Reimer]

I'll try to catch up with all the movies I missed and got some "oscar-buzz".

 

I just saw "Das weiße Band" / "The White Ribbon" by Michael Haneke and photographed by Christian Berger.

 

It was a quite expensive movie by German standards (~€12m) and I liked the not very known aspect of small-village society before WW1 (and a portray of the youth which later was responsible for the holocaust) with some interesting scenes. But it wasn't a very exciting movie, too busy avoiding classic dramaturgy. Acting, cinematography and production design was ok but not more.

 

First I thought the academy appreciates a very classic cinematography with "2D-B/W" in contrast to "colour-3D" ;-)

But as I later found out, it wasn't classic at all: they shot it on color stock, made a DI and turned it B/W while heavily manipulating the "look". And this is all what they came up with 15 years after Kaminskis' "Schindlers List" (real B/W)?

 

What have I missed?

 

I finally remembered to order this on Netflix, and I really, really loved the lighting. Interiors were pretty soft and naturalistic, and the exterior scenes definitely looked lit, but again, in a soft and somewhat naturalistic style. I would agree, it definitely looked like it had a touch of Sven Nyquvist to it, especially those exterior scenes. I'm with you, Georg, I'd like to see something like this shot on actual black and white film, but hey, at least it was presented in black and white! Right before commenting here I was reading David's comments on the Wally Pfister lighting thread, and I thought, I'd love to see Wally's style translated into black and white. There were a few interior scenes in The White Ribbon that had some soft, toppy sources, which is what made me connect the two in my mind. Anyway, the storytelling style of this film might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really enjoyed the cinematography, and at the very least I think most forum members here would appreciate the lighting. There were several times that I thought, man, I'd like to get ahold of the the negatives and make some prints in the darkroom to hang on my wall. :)

[Frank Glencairn]

I think that scene, where the wive of the farmer died and he stands at her bed was nothing but great - also when the father (pastor) spanks his son behind that closed door was extremely immersive , especially because it is all in our head - you just see that door.

 

In my book, the white ribbon is one of the best German films in the last years.

 

Frank

[Hampus Bystrom]

I always find Haneke's films to be so disturbing that I almost repress them... Which is a good thing, I love movies that have that visceral effect on you. I mean I saw the film at least half a year ago, and I still don't know what to make of it