I must acknowledge a couple of things first - that this is my first Haneke film, and that I have actually missed the crucial first five minutes of the movie...
That being said, I still believe that I have actually experienced the film in the spirit of the maker, having missed the more shocking introduction to the main story of the film. This fact is irrelevant, in a way, since the film throughout makes no effort to convey any kind of explanation whatsoever of its setting. We are simply brought up face to face with its reality and everyday happenings, vignettes are shown in real time, abruptly passing onto the next real-time sequence. The camera work is ingenious, although at times slow, giving enough time to the viewers who are no doubt brooding over what in the world might be going on.
We are quietly presented with an alternative reality; no narration, no visual hints, just plain simple reality, with a brilliant dark atmosphere that creeps under ones skin. The bold but steady camera angles give extra weight to the film, standing somewhere between the shallow hand-held technique (which gained so much popularity so rapidly that it's already getting old), and the classic steady-cam.
There are surely less things happening than, for example, 28 days later, but is as engaging and thought provoking. The strength of the film lies not in the story telling (which is also quite decent), but in the very absence of it. In the end, one realizes that how they got there is not really important (as the kid says "ca sert a qui, de savoir (what use would it be if you knew?)"), but how humans interact and survive in extreme circumstances. The young actress who plays Eva (Anais Demoustier) is radiant in this film, representing the very essence of humanity that will save the day - fear, love, compassion, innocence, and comprehension.
Contrary to what others might say, this film is not in anyway provocative, shocking or horrible - it seems to be more of an honest account of what really might be, and is perhaps a gentler introduction to Haneke's two other films that are often characterized as such. As a result, at times the movie fails to keep up the viewers attention. All in all, the film is certainly an interesting experimental work, but at the same time, it fails to come through as a masterpiece. Especially, it reveals some hastiness in trying to conclude, and eventually chooses not to conclude at all. After all it's simple what most moviegoers look for - it needs to be gripping, one way or another. (7/10)
That being said, I still believe that I have actually experienced the film in the spirit of the maker, having missed the more shocking introduction to the main story of the film. This fact is irrelevant, in a way, since the film throughout makes no effort to convey any kind of explanation whatsoever of its setting. We are simply brought up face to face with its reality and everyday happenings, vignettes are shown in real time, abruptly passing onto the next real-time sequence. The camera work is ingenious, although at times slow, giving enough time to the viewers who are no doubt brooding over what in the world might be going on.
We are quietly presented with an alternative reality; no narration, no visual hints, just plain simple reality, with a brilliant dark atmosphere that creeps under ones skin. The bold but steady camera angles give extra weight to the film, standing somewhere between the shallow hand-held technique (which gained so much popularity so rapidly that it's already getting old), and the classic steady-cam.
There are surely less things happening than, for example, 28 days later, but is as engaging and thought provoking. The strength of the film lies not in the story telling (which is also quite decent), but in the very absence of it. In the end, one realizes that how they got there is not really important (as the kid says "ca sert a qui, de savoir (what use would it be if you knew?)"), but how humans interact and survive in extreme circumstances. The young actress who plays Eva (Anais Demoustier) is radiant in this film, representing the very essence of humanity that will save the day - fear, love, compassion, innocence, and comprehension.
Contrary to what others might say, this film is not in anyway provocative, shocking or horrible - it seems to be more of an honest account of what really might be, and is perhaps a gentler introduction to Haneke's two other films that are often characterized as such. As a result, at times the movie fails to keep up the viewers attention. All in all, the film is certainly an interesting experimental work, but at the same time, it fails to come through as a masterpiece. Especially, it reveals some hastiness in trying to conclude, and eventually chooses not to conclude at all. After all it's simple what most moviegoers look for - it needs to be gripping, one way or another. (7/10)