Following orders

The White Ribbon (2009)

This German language film is set in a northern German village in the year leading up to the out break of the first world war. The story is narrated by the village school teacher many years later as he goes over his memories of the strange events that happen during the period leading up to the out break of war.

What the film is really about is authoritarianism and the affects it has on the community. The unpopular baron rules the village with the help of his steward, the doctor and the pastor while various acts of rebellion or terrorism occur against them. It is hard not to view the plot as foreshadowing what happens in Germany following the loss of the first world war, particularly the punishment of the weak and vulnerable in response to the crimes of the previous generation. There are also denunciations and cover ups as the villages try to get to the bottom of the strange series of events.

Shooting in black and white to emphasise the strict code of right and wrong on the surface of the village life is an interesting choice but I do not think it adds a great deal to the look of the film. Where the film falls down is that it is fairly slow and there is no real conclusion to the story in my opinion.

This is still a good film, if shocking at times and I give it a 4/5