Many recipes involve eggs, but only one involves eggs, murder and white-gloved Germans.
“Funny Games” was written and directed by Michael Haneke; the original version was filmed in 1998 and is in German with subtitles. Although, it’s not in English, it’s hard to misinterpret the movie.
Many attendees and reviewers at the Cannes Film Festival left the film’s initial screening because they were too shocked to keep watching, according to http://imdb.com.
The movie showcases suspense and emotion in a way that American movies rarely do. Several spots in the movie have little use for dialogue and instead show footage of the hostages crying and struggling to comprehend what is happening to them, instead of using cuts and fades to pull action into shots that are tense with emotion.
The saddest part of the movie is that its message is lost on American viewers.
Most won’t be shocked by the violence and feel the same terror the wife, husband and child feel. They won’t share the guilt of the parents, who invited the killers in when they asked to borrow some eggs.
Instead, many viewers will make comparisons to more modern movies filled with gore and shock value, such as “Saw.”
Because Americans have become so desensitized, we often view things from a “what would an American do?” angle.
Unfortunately, that angle makes the Germans look bad.
At one point, when the family is away from the killers and finds a mobile phone, the couple argues for five minutes about whom they should call for help.
The police? No, they don’t know the number.
Her mother? No, she’s probably asleep.
His father? A neighbor? Apparently the Germans don’t have 911.
The moral of the story seems to be, ‘Never let a white-glove-wearing German teen near the eggs.’
Oh, and the Germans should really invest in a 911 program.
Loading ...
All Articles