The White Ribbon is an enticingly sinister drama set in north Germany just before the First World War. Filmed in black and white, it tells the tales of the habitants of a small village where everybody has a status and everything seems fine. However a series of atrocious events upset there disciplined lifestyles revealing this illusionary facade and disrupts the social order. First the doctor falls off his horse as it trips over wire then the farmer’s wife dies in an accident in the sawmill making the son accuse the baron and ruins his cabbage patch. This leads to the baron ending his funding of the farm and the father disowning the son. A barn is then set on fire and children are found beaten and tortured. The entire plot is focused on the mystery of these crimes and keeps the viewer guessing.
The white ribbon is primarily a representation of realism. The shots are limited to close-up, medium long shot and long shot to only show what is going on and where rather than trying to create dramatic effects. The shots are often elongated for unconventional long periods of time to enhance the drama or stillness of the scene. For example when a little boy is looking for his sister in the house late at night the camera is in one position and does not move letting the boy come in and out of the shot while he looks into rooms. This makes the viewer uneasy as it creates that sense of impatience one feels when they are looking for someone and at the same time it builds up the feeling of dread that he will fall into a disturbing situation when he finally finds his sister.
I believe that there is no such thing as pure realism as it is merely the object of perception. One person may watch this film and be horrified when another may absolutely love it. Perception is unique to every individual and is moulded by the senses which filter and distort existing absolute reality into the internal representation creating intrapersonal reality through language and culture. In this film there is a total lack of music which plays a crucial part in this unique representation of reality as music sets the mood. Here the viewer is at liberty to feel however he likes.
