White Ribbon

I was mesmerized by it.. a painful peek into rural German small-town society, family and church, on the eve of WW 1, July, 1913 - August 10, 1914, and the inordinate harshness toward children, with a mystery of something very dark in this small town's life.

Done in black and white, this is a technical achievement - great to see B&W again - and surely consistent with the film's dark themes.

Costuming and music are splendid, everything carefully done. The script captures the pain of children growing up in a time where the child is to be seen and not heard, where fear of sin leads the pastor to brutalize his children, and in the end, to ignore terrible possibilities.

Cleverly narrated by an old man (whom we never see, but only hear) who tells his part of the story when he was the young town teacher. We witness his falling in love and a very chaste courtship. Was it really that way? I suspect it was, though moderns can hardly believe they didn't fall into bed by the second date.

He tells his tale that we might understand. But understand what?

Erie, to say the least, as the story unfolds ... a reflection of every dysfunctional family - how secrets are hidden behind a wall of shame, often buttressed by a hyper-religious overlay.

The sad little boy in this picture, one of the pastor's children, says it well - the cross on the wall, the communion chalice, and the white ribbon, a symbol of purity. The father expresses deep disappoint in his son's depression which he determines is caused by self-abuse - you know, the stuff that'll make ya' blind. So a white ribbon is tied on his sleeve and he must wear it all the time. His hands are tied to the sides of the bed at night, lest he touch himself.

Something terrible is happening in this town. Is is the doctor? The pastor? His children? The peasant-farmer's son? Harshness and cruelty abound.

At 2 1/2 hours, with a slow pace and questions that remain unanswered, I felt the mystery and the sadness slide inside of me, like watching a slow-motion train wreck in a dream, yet just before the trains leaves the track and tips into the waiting swamp, the dream abruptly ends.

I think a second viewing might help me pick up some of the clues as to who did what (there was one signifiant scene, I think, that held a clue), though the intent is to leave the mystery intact. After all, there are things in life never solved, and this town's sadness may be one of them.

The young teacher was drafted into the army and left town, never to return.

While we never finally know (as least I didn't) who dunn it, we have a chance to see the elements that lead to tragedy.

Not an easy film to see, but clearly worth it.

Could one wait until Netflix? Yes.