Directed by Michael Haneke, this is a difficult movie to know what to make of. It’s an almost frame for frame re-make of the director’s German language version released ten years ago, and both movies attempt to condemn movie-goers for glorifying violence. The movie plays up the irony factor, as the movie is anything but funny. There are many uses of juxtaposition throughout the movie, with serene scenes of the family listening to classical music featuring thrash metal, an overly realistic portrayal of violence coupled with an actor talking to the camera, and all of this helps to create a movie that is a hyper-violent, anti-violence movie.
A Family's Worst Nightmare
The premise is simple; two motiveless sociopaths take a family hostage and proceed to make them play cruel games meant to demean, hurt, and terrify the family members. Salvation always seems just out of grasp, with every chance the family has to free themselves from their captors seems to be just part of another game. George and Ann, portrayed by Naomi Watts and Tim Roth, convincingly play the roles of the victims, and Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet play the preppy-clad misanthropes perfectly, their detachment from their situation disturbing the most hardened audience.
Not Just Another Exercise in Violence
It’s a movie worth watching just for the appreciation of the acting and directing talents. Beyond the violence and sadism of the film, the film is a little difficult to watch because of the didactic, remonstrative attitude that it takes toward it audience. Several times throughout the movie, Pitt’s character turns to the camera and asks if the family has suffered enough for the enjoyment of the audience. It’s a tough trick to swallow. Without it, though, the movie would be just another exercise in violence.
Caught in the Cookie Jar
Movies are supposed to challenge, to disturb, to make us think. People don’t generally go into an independent feature expecting to be mindlessly entertained. There are aspects of the movie that challenge traditional cinema; for instance, the two sociopaths are completely motiveless. Usually in movies, motives are assigned to characters so that the audience can understand them and justify what is going on in the movie. Without motives, there is no justification, which of course is the point of the movie. This, however, shouldn’t be too difficult for people to swallow if they are prepared to not be mindlessly entertained. What people don’t generally enjoy is being made to feel like a child who has been caught with a hand in the cookie jar.
