The White Ribbon (Das weisse Band) (2009)
85%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
62 wins & 48 nominations total
The White Ribbon effectively utilizes tension and a bleak atmosphere to deliver a thought-provoking examination of nascent fascism
The White Ribbon is like a horror movie, but instead of a monster, it’s just the everyday evil that lurks in small towns. The acting is so good that you’ll feel like you’re watching a documentary, and the cinematography is stunning. It’s not a feel-good movie, but it’s definitely worth watching if you want to be both mesmerized and disturbed. Just don’t watch it before bed, or you’ll have nightmares about creepy children staring at you in black and white.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some disturbing content involving violence and sexuality
Year of Release
2010
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:DTS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 24m
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Language(s):German, Italian, Polish, Latin
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Country of origin:Austria, Germany
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 30, 2009 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 29, 2010
Genre(s)
Drama/War
Keyword(s)
The White Ribbon, Drama, War, German, Michael Haneke, Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka, Margaret Ménégoz, Andrea Occhipinti, Ulrich Tukur, Rainer Bock, Burghart Klaussner, Christian Friedel, directed by Michael Haneke, written by Michael Haneke, produced by Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka, Margaret Ménégoz, Andrea Occhipinti, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Ed Koch, Stanley Kauffmann, Anton Bitel, Jason Best, rated R, $2.2M box office, tension, bleak atmosphere, nascent fascism, social status, harsh punishments, small German village, doctor, pastor, brutal pranks, upper class, local schoolteacher, suspects, disturbing content, sexuality, violence
Worldwide gross: $19,319,671
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $26,262,900
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,604
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,864,002
US/Canada gross: $2,222,862
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,021,729
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,936
US/Canada opening weekend: $59,848
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $81,357
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,018
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $18,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $24,468,957
Production budget ranking: 1,260
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $13,176,534
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$11,382,591
ROI to date (est.): -30%
ROI ranking: 1,565
Leonie Benesch – Eva
Ulrich Tukur – The Baron
Ursina Lardi – Marie-Louise, the Baroness
Burghart Klaußner – The Pastor
Steffi Kühnert – Anna, the Pastor’s Wife
Director(s)
Michael Haneke
Writer(s)
Michael Haneke
Producer(s)
Stefan Arndt, Veit Heiduschka, Margaret Ménégoz, Andrea Occhipinti
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
62 wins & 48 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (147) | Top Critics (53) | Fresh (127) | Rotten (20)
Haneke’s rigorous control of his material is so unerring, and the acting so eerily and chillingly perfect, it works simply as a portrait of this community at this particular time.
August 30, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
Suffice it to say that I don’t understand the rave reviews that this picture received, and I was not a happy camper when I left the theater.
January 13, 2018
Ed Koch
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
As for Haneke’s handling of the material, his directing is immaculate. Every moment is the product of a penetrating mind and a steady talent.
September 20, 2012
Stanley Kauffmann
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
Haneke has made a deeply unsettling and gravely beautiful film that tells us very little. But the performances are astonishing, and the faces of the children, caught in long, static close-ups, may haunt you for a long time.
May 10, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/5
Evan Williams
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
A tantalising, perhaps slightly frustrating film, but a very impressive one.
May 7, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
David Stratton
At the Movies (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
Far from enjoyable escapism, The White Ribbon is nonetheless utterly compelling and quite beautiful in its unsettling presentation of this prosaic evil.
May 6, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
Giles Hardie
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
As an anatomisation of the insular envy, malice and brutality that would lead to the rise of Nazism, The White Ribbon is clinically precise – but also just a little dull.
August 22, 2021
Anton Bitel
Projected Figures
Haneke is typically elusive, but he does create an indelible portrait of a repressed, authoritarian society in which the sins of the fathers are being laid upon the children.
November 25, 2020
Jason Best
Movie Talk
An engrossing, mesmerizing and involving cinematic journey that is unforgettable as a journey that is both intimate and universal.
September 27, 2020 | Rating: 4.0/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
The White Ribbon is one of the most gorgeous films in recent memory, with one of the blackest condemnations of human nature.
January 23, 2020
Felicia Feaster
Charleston City Paper
The White Ribbon may present difficult themes and have spiky edges and perhaps could not be described as entertainment but, as a piece of cinema, it is undoubtedly stunning.
October 25, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Nikki Baughan
Roll Credits
Haneke both enthralls and repells us, luring us into a world where all feelings are buried deep beneath the quaint and idyllic surface.
June 6, 2019 | Rating: 3.5/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row…
Plot
In a small German village, a series of brutal pranks are directed at the upper class, leading a local schoolteacher to suspect that something sinister is brewing beneath the surface. As tensions rise and fascism begins to take hold, the community is forced to confront the darkness within.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about The White Ribbon.
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