The White Ribbon
Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: December 30, 2009
7.9
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 138 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
115
Mixed:
15
Negative:
8
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
10
kk10Jun 10, 2011
an absolutely disturbing film and needs to be hailed as one of the best films of its decade. I've only watched two of Michael Haneke's films (the other being Cache) too realise that this man is a genius. it is a simple story, but to createan absolutely disturbing film and needs to be hailed as one of the best films of its decade. I've only watched two of Michael Haneke's films (the other being Cache) too realise that this man is a genius. it is a simple story, but to create that level of unease and uncertainty requires sheer craft. Great film.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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10
ryancarroll88Aug 26, 2010
The movie is nothing more than a dark tale of metaphors and anti-humanism. Set in a small pre-World War I village in Germany, Haneke unravels schemes that he uses to signify the rise of fascism by the need for control - no characters are leftThe movie is nothing more than a dark tale of metaphors and anti-humanism. Set in a small pre-World War I village in Germany, Haneke unravels schemes that he uses to signify the rise of fascism by the need for control - no characters are left without faults, and the more that is revealed, the more we realize that the village will inevitably spiral into chaos. The plot itself is provoking, but the movie would be nothing without Haneke's methodical direction, weaving bleakness with uncertainty and paranoia in a way that is sure to gnaw at your soul.… Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
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10
WhatsInnaNameJan 1, 2011
One of the best films you will ever see. One word? Chilling. I found myself to be a different person when I left the cinema. It tells a dark tale of the human life and I could not shake the feeling that what is depicted in the film is less aOne of the best films you will ever see. One word? Chilling. I found myself to be a different person when I left the cinema. It tells a dark tale of the human life and I could not shake the feeling that what is depicted in the film is less a fairy tale and more a picture of a reality that seems overcome, but is it really and truly?… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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1
Kornwestheim333May 27, 2019
Bring a bunch of Germany- haters together...put them in a film room...this is what you get. A piece of perverse slanderous trash. This film portrays the rigid Prussian Protestant world of 1910 as a nation of incestuous child- molestingBring a bunch of Germany- haters together...put them in a film room...this is what you get. A piece of perverse slanderous trash. This film portrays the rigid Prussian Protestant world of 1910 as a nation of incestuous child- molesting morons. This is one of the most inaccurate and slanderous films that I have ever seen. A real chore to sit through the whole thing....whatever it is.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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5
smijatovDec 22, 2010
Unlike most people on here, I did not enjoy 'The White Ribbon.' It just did not get its message across, for me. Yes, the black and white cinematography was excellent and it definitely contributed to the general gloomy, dark feeling of theUnlike most people on here, I did not enjoy 'The White Ribbon.' It just did not get its message across, for me. Yes, the black and white cinematography was excellent and it definitely contributed to the general gloomy, dark feeling of the film, but cinematography alone cannot save the film. I found myself, quite often, being bored out of my wits because of the extremely slow pace of the film, and just being rather frustrated at the end, with the open-endedness of the whole picture. Also, I do not really see the connection between this story and the origins of National Socialism, but I guess maybe if I watched it again I could pick up on more things. Sadly, I just do not feel like wasting another 2 1/2 hours on this.… Expand
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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10
MattBrady99Mar 14, 2017
I'm dumbfounded.

Seriously, this took a long time to fully appreciate. Not like a day or so, but almost two weeks. I guess I got so wrapped up in it's mystery that I couldn't get a word out. A film that explores depression, cruelty, andI'm dumbfounded.

Seriously, this took a long time to fully appreciate. Not like a day or so, but almost two weeks. I guess I got so wrapped up in it's mystery that I couldn't get a word out. A film that explores depression, cruelty, and life's biggest mysteries. What we see is a mixture of the truth, lies or rumors. It ends on a cold note with nothing ever answered, and these nothing quite like it.

"The White Ribbon" is another masterpiece from the brilliant Michael Haneke. The grim atmosphere and the re-creation of the time period is it's own achievement. Haneke is the best living film making of this decade. He's one of the few filmmakers right now that creates such compelling stories and questions with no answers, but questions that many will be thinking long after it's over.

The performances from the children was both fantastic and natural. The childlike behavior and the little innocence felt real. And for someone who's a sucker for amazing cinematography, this movie has it. Every singe shot is framed so perfectly that you could easily take any shot from the film and make it as the poster.

This is one of those movies that you can find something new with repeat viewings. With such a powerful narrative that excels all my expectations.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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0
BroyaxMay 27, 2020
Oh attention, c'est une palme d'or ce truc-là ! et c'est du gros film d'auteur de merde qui se regarde le nombril tout en comptant les mangeboules qui viennent lui manger dans la main et lui manger les... oui, c'est dire s'il est sûr de luiOh attention, c'est une palme d'or ce truc-là ! et c'est du gros film d'auteur de merde qui se regarde le nombril tout en comptant les mangeboules qui viennent lui manger dans la main et lui manger les... oui, c'est dire s'il est sûr de lui l'empaffé, à la manière sans doute d'un Godard ou de tous ces autres connards qui prétendent faire du "cinéma"... au delà du delà, des trucs, des bidules "auteuristes" (?) et qui sont au cinoche ce que l'art moderne est... à l'Art : un tas de fumier et d'étrons.

Donc, évidemment, c'est en noir et blanc, c'est sans queue ni tête, sans direction et çe ne va nulle part... c'est lent mais d'une lenteur qui semble s'être arrêtée pendant que les pauvres comédiens viennent raconter n'importe quoi devant la caméra ; on cherche une vague cohérence à ce merdier qui paraît sans fin, un but éventuel mais en vain : ça n'a pas de but autre que de vous abrutir ! du remplissage interminable et résoluement minable pendant deux plombes et quart (!)... putain mais quelle chiasse !

Même en accélérant à fond, ça ne voulait pas se terminer comme si la télé était habitée, contaminée par la vacuité de l'insondable ennui de l'infâme étron démoulé par le trou de balle Haneke ! j'ai cru un instant qu'il faudrait appeler un exorciseur pour exorciser le Malin qui était entré dedans ! non, mais ça va mieux, c'était juste une chiasse audio-visuelle, une daubasse de l'asile de Cannes.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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8
MyOpinionOnThisApr 16, 2019
An amazing movie that is very insightful yet also disturbing when you think about it.
Back when I watched it the first time I though nothing of it but now almost 10 years later I have learned to really appreciate this movie after watching itAn amazing movie that is very insightful yet also disturbing when you think about it.
Back when I watched it the first time I though nothing of it but now almost 10 years later I have learned to really appreciate this movie after watching it again recently. The plot deals with a lot of heavy themes and is fantastic even if there's no absolute conclusion.
The presentation is amazing in my opinion... The use of Black and White, the symbolism of various things happening in the movie and the lack of any sort of background music ties everything together amazingly.
I think this is a movie anyone should see once even if at first you don't understand it...… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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9
BLAIRDJan 10, 2010
stunning, original movie. I am still thinking about it which is more than i can say about many of the big Holliwood movies I have seen lately.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
AndrewFeb 15, 2010
It's unfortunate that the director appears to intend this as some sort of explanation of the roots of National Socialism. That's too facile. Instead, it's a wonderful examination of human nature and tyranny. And it's a It's unfortunate that the director appears to intend this as some sort of explanation of the roots of National Socialism. That's too facile. Instead, it's a wonderful examination of human nature and tyranny. And it's a terrific reminder of how terrible living conditions were for Westerners less than a century ago. Don't ever let anyone tell you that rural life was idyllic back then. I enjoyed all 2-1/2 hours of it, though I needed to watch about four hours of "Wonderpets" videos afterward to lift my spirits. Grim, if gripping, stuff. Submit to it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
SmoothJacobsJan 29, 2010
Stunning film from relentless provocateur Michael Haneke. The premise is scintillating, and it's slow-burn method of denying the audience any explicit truth is remarkable. One of the best films I've seen in a while.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
TomDFeb 3, 2010
Amazing movie. Should be nominated for Best Picture. The movie is powerful and intense. The cinematography was perfect. Overall one of the best films of the year.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
MichaelB.Dec 30, 2009
Beautifully photographed and very well-acted, "The White Ribbon", Haneke's latest film, was simply too cold and remote for my taste. Despite some of the most beautiful B&W cinematography you'll ever see, the film comes across like Beautifully photographed and very well-acted, "The White Ribbon", Haneke's latest film, was simply too cold and remote for my taste. Despite some of the most beautiful B&W cinematography you'll ever see, the film comes across like half-baked Bergman. Surprised that "The White Ribbon" won the Palme d'Or at Cannes over "Un Prophete", which to me is a vastly superior film. Haneke fans won't be disappointed, though everyone else might find that "The White Ribbon" overstays its welcome.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
UnicornManDec 31, 2009
Haneke has proven, once again, that he is one of the most challenging directors around. I have never seen anything remotely similar to the White Ribbon, it is a film that only skims the surface of the material presented to us. As it is up to Haneke has proven, once again, that he is one of the most challenging directors around. I have never seen anything remotely similar to the White Ribbon, it is a film that only skims the surface of the material presented to us. As it is up to the audience, for the most part, to figure out the on-goings in this not so humble village.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
benderrodriguezAug 18, 2010
Amazing movie. Real thinker. It's one of those movies that you'll hate after seeing it, but once you see the bigger picture, no pun intended, it will stun you.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
weisbergerJan 30, 2011
Beautifully filmed and acted and directed, yet ultimately unsatisfying. The story of a small German village told years later by its schoolteacher, who recounts a series of unsettling events in the months prior to WWI. The film centersBeautifully filmed and acted and directed, yet ultimately unsatisfying. The story of a small German village told years later by its schoolteacher, who recounts a series of unsettling events in the months prior to WWI. The film centers primarily on the town's parson, the town's landowning baron,the town doctor, the schoolteacher and the children he teaches. Odd stuff happens and no one seems to know why. As the film slowly winds from one event to another we await resolution, but there is no satisfying moment of understanding or clarity, and all is left unsettled. The characters are so odd that the Marty Feldman character from Young Frankenstein would have fit right in and provided some needed comic relief.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
SindriFeb 20, 2011
Crystal clear film language - The inner tension is constrained and the expressions of opinion are pointed with quivering effect in Michael Haneke's tenth feature.

In the foregoings of the first world war unexplainable incidents occurs inCrystal clear film language - The inner tension is constrained and the expressions of opinion are pointed with quivering effect in Michael Haneke's tenth feature.

In the foregoings of the first world war unexplainable incidents occurs in the north German village Eichwald, where most of the inhabitants work for the baron. The incidents who appear as some form of ritual punishment of random individuals disturbs the safety of the residents.

This ominous and fictitious tale about a pietistic rural community being bewildered by fear and doubt after a string of incomprehensible events, is told through an aging teacher's retrospective voice-over. Are the incidents random? Are they warnings? Are they acts of revenge? Or is it perhaps so that the inhabitants are being punished? With a shred of humor and warmth which is rarely seen from the expressive film artist Michael Haneke and which is the main contrast to this films gravitating tone, a precise and sharp minded portrayal of the boomerang effect that arose as a result of the one-dimensional upbringing of children that was practiced in Germany in the beginning of the 1900th century is sketched out. With verbal and physical ways of punishment the parents inculcated sin and shame in their children, which mislead the children into the primitive entanglements of fear and stagnated their development.

"The White Ribbon" opens with an accident that provokes a circulation of distressing events and leads towards the outburst of the first world war, the source of fascism, the second world war and Holocaust. The origins and the entity of violence has always been a favored motive in Hankes filmography, and with last years Palme'd Or winner the Austrian has concretisized his characteristic themes, nuanced his style and found a language that extends his expressions. Hanekes distinct though unforeseen filming and Monica Willis' abrupt editing transfers the characters suspiciousness to the viewer in this emotionally distant "Who-did-it"- crime drama, and with frequent use of the off-screen method and figurative descriptions, Haneke gives the viewer sensible impressions that underlines his aversion towards violence. This is Hanekes most aesthetic work, meticulously photographed by Christian Berger. The mood making black and white color is one of the films essential characters, the milieu depictions are credible reflection of the time period, the pace is discreet, the actors are rock solid and with this multi award winning co-production that was shoot in Germany, Michael Haneke and his collaborators has created an historical allegory that bears resemblance with Ingmar Bergman's "Fanny and Alexander" (1982).… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
seancriswellMar 25, 2013
The story of a small village in Germany right before World War I. The White Ribbon is an emotional experience but not of the feel good sort. This film does not really have a central character, and only two characters that we can root for.The story of a small village in Germany right before World War I. The White Ribbon is an emotional experience but not of the feel good sort. This film does not really have a central character, and only two characters that we can root for. While most movies with bleak story lines try to move our emotions from dark to light, Haneke takes the opposite approach. While the mood is never light, it still manages to become harsher and darker as the story progresses.

Someone seems to be targeting the citizens of this small village. A handful of them are brutally injured at separate times and with no witnesses. As the search towards finding the culprit takes place we get to know many of the folks in the village. The teacher in the village is the one character that we can have a positive response to and he is also the narrator of the story. So we learn what is happening as he does. The women and children in this story are more seen than heard and that is the way that the men of the village want it. We see the harsh treatment of them throughout the film and it is hard not to have a visceral response to the abuse they are subjected to.

This film thrives under Haneke's hand. Everything that is great about it is owed to him. The pace is slow and steady, so the viewers response grows with the film. Each shot is beautifully framed, the black and white setting is brilliant for this story. The dialogue is sharp and ambiguous. This is the type of film that I will not be in a hurry to revisit. However I am glad I did once and it will stick with me for a long time.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
gracjanskiApr 10, 2021
The first 40 minutes are very boring: The story is still not clear, the behaviour between the characters is stiff, serious, cold and rough. After that the movie becomes much more interesting and you finally get the story. Also the movie givesThe first 40 minutes are very boring: The story is still not clear, the behaviour between the characters is stiff, serious, cold and rough. After that the movie becomes much more interesting and you finally get the story. Also the movie gives a great insight into the german life from 1914. The ending is not so satisfying, because it is not so clear, so you need to think what was this movie about.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
JLuis_001Sep 6, 2017
One of the most striking conceptualizations of evil in film.
You do not see violence, nor its origin, but when you begin to understand the scope of what is happening that's when the movie turns into something else.

A masterpiece!!
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
TrisolaranApr 4, 2022
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A deeply disturbing and harrowing movie that explores the darkness of humanity and authoritarianism, The White Ribbon is set in a fictional village in Germany just prior to World War I and tells the tale of a series of strange events and crimes that upset the peace of the local society. Show with a gorgeously bleak white-and-black colour palette and heralded by excellent performances, this is a film that despite having… Expand
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