I liked The White Ribbon, I really did. The White Ribbon (2009) is a German/Austrian film set in a Protestant north German village just before World War I, written and directed by Michael Haneke.
It follows the inhabitants of the small village as a series of mysterious events occur such as the torture of both the Baron's son, the suicide of a farmer, a barn set alight and alot more seemingly accidental things. When the school children start acting suspiciously the Schoolteacher decides to investigate but when he confronts the priest he is shot down and told never to tell anyone, even threatened to be reported. Did he find out the truth? Or is the Priest covering only for himself?
The film has a voice over by the Schoolteacher from many years later, and introduces the film by stating "I hope by telling this I somehow can explain what would later happen" (or something of the sort.) Which now only makes me ponder what the perpetrators went on to do that was so terrible. On a different note: the voice of the older Schoolteacher was one of those soothing calm ones, and I instantly liked it, right from the beginning.
The large cast of both adults and children confused me to whose child was born to which character at the beginning especially, but this only fuelled my intrigue. And at just over two and a bit hours it wasn't too long, but still over my preferred time for a film, 95 minutes if you care to know, and very intense going from one thing to another without a comedic character to lighten the mood (part of a conversation with Alex for you there.)
It was also shot only in black and white with mainly singular long camera shots per scene (another conversation with Alex for you there.) I enjoy films shot in black and white as a rule, I like the contrast of the light and the dark (sometimes colour is simply boring.)
That's also why I like summer: the shadows next to the direct sunlight. Or something like that. I also like it when its warm.
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