movie world

The story of The White Ribbon is set in a rural village in Germany in the year prior to World War I. There is nothing unusual about this village – it is a quiet place where people live their lives in harmony. Though not all of them are happy, all of them are satisfied. There is peace, order and work for everyone.

A strange accident changes everything - the local doctor gets injured when his horse is tripped up by a wire placed nearby his home. And while the villagers are speculating why anyone would want to hurt the good doctor, a woman is killed. Then a barn is burned and a child seriously beaten. The village's wealthy baron, who owns most of the land in the area and has most of the villagers working for him, vows to find out who is responsible for these despicable crimes.

There are plenty of clues but no suspects. There are a few possible suspects but there aren't enough facts to have them questioned. Tension grips the village and the villagers suddenly become very careful about what they say or do in public. The village slowly plunges into darkness...

Director: Michael Haneke
Cast: Christian Friedel, Ernst Jacobi, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur
Country: Germany, Austria, France, Italy
Genre: Drama, History, Mystery, Thriller

BD50 | 1080p AVC | 02:23:33 | 40.9 Gb + 3% rec
Language: German
Subtitles: English

Extras:

• Interview - in this interview, director Michael Haneke discusses how The White Ribbon came to exist, what type of changes were made to the original version of the film, its look and message, etc. In German, with imposed English subtitles. (15 min, PAL).

• Making of - a standard featurette with footage from the Cannes Film Festival, comments from director Michale Haneke addressing the narrative of his film, raw footage from the locations where the film was shot, etc. In German, with optional English subtitles. (39 min, PAL).

• Cannes Festival - footage from the Cannes Film Film Festival - and the festival press conference - where The White Ribbon won the prestigious Palme d'Or award. In German and French, with optional English subtitles. (19 min, PAL).

• Portrait - a fantastic documentary about Michael Haneke's career as a filmmaker. Some of the actors the director has worked with during the years, such as Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert, talk about his unique talents. In German and French, with optional English subtitles. (51 min, PAL).

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for the film. In German, with imposed English subtitles. (2 min, 1080p).