Funny Games

IMDB
First time viewed: No
Current Release: No
Watched With: Jordan, Amberly

Speaking of 4th wall breakages.

This is one of my all time favourites. It would definitely be in my top 10. I'm a huge Michael Haneke fan. He does have a habit of being a intellectual elitist but not to the degree of, say, Peter Greenaway. He remade his own film 10 years later, shot for shot but in America. A strange exercise but still a great film. I like this one probably because I saw it first and know it better.

This is a great critique of the cavalier attitude to violence as depicted in films. It has all the classic horror film set ups and then proceeds to break any expectations of them being fulfilled. What's more it makes the audience reprehensible for watching the events take place and any pleasure or entertainment they may get out of them. Naughty Audience.

Now I love gratuitous violence. But this film does the very hard task of making a statement about violence but without actually depicting it gratuitously. The torment of the characters is there, perhaps even more effectively than a straight home invasion film, but all the violence is implied offscreen. Instead we linger on the aftermath which is almost more unbearable. The violence here has consequences and it hurts.

And the one spot where an act of violence is shown, it's against the "bad guys" and almost immediately undone by a very cruel act of playing with audience expectations.

As for the "bay guys" they are somewhat of an enigma and probably the most intriguing part of the film for me.

Watch this film. Do it. Then watch anything by Michael Haneke, I think he's a fascinating director.