Films: Micheal Haneke

Michael Haneke is an Austrian filmmaker, whose work predominantly focusses on the subject of voyeurism and teen violence, and occasionally fixates on both themes together. His work has taken a particular focus on violence amongst the ‘Generation X’ type of teenagers and those from wealthy, middle class families, who go against the assumed usual suspects of lower class delinquents and family men and women. This analysis suggests that the teenagers of this type, as observed from real life horror stories of teen violence, live a privileged home life, with no cause for complaint, but who seek out thrills through exercising their power over others. They consider themselves invincible, are arrogant and generally have no reason for their actions other than to impress others, or exert pain for their own pleasure. Whether they want to punish an absentee parent (by which I mean emotionally absent, or disinterested), or believe their parents wealth and status will fix their problems, these young people take on a total disregard for other human beings and their elders, let alone the consequences of their actions. Furthermore, the adults of such types and backgrounds featured in Haneke’s films may hold their own secrets, past skeletons in their closet that border on being violent, or sadistic.

Yet it is not just the offender and the violence that Haneke is interested in. Many of his films focus on the increasing use of technology to either document violence (in the case of Benny’s Video, this seems to suggest that Haneke was being ahead of his time), or the comparisons between real violence in the media versus its representation in fiction films. They are also keen on the viewer’s participation, how they react to often shocking acts of fictional violence on screen before them, what draws them to such film themes and genres; and the questions they might ask themselves about what they are seeing.

Another interesting aspect of Haneke’s films is the relationship between parent and child, often with the parent/elder, being moulded into a villainous figure. The parent is often seen as being responsible for their child’s wayward behaviour, though they are ignorant to the part they play in contributing to it. It is also very much a recurring theme that those who seem to believe they are the more moralistic, turn out to be a negative influence. Notably, like the films of say Wes Craven, adults cannot always defeat the youngsters, nor can they always protect them.

Haneke is not arguing that media violence is influencing youth to commit harm and crime against others. He is merely exploring the concept of how we view real and fictionalised violence and perhaps a certain craving we may have for films that feature obscenities. He is particularly concerned with violence amongst youth and within the media in Europe and America. For instance: Haneke made the film Funny Games in 1997 in Austria, with German/French language and English subtitles, and then remade the film, apparently (as I did not see it) frame for frame in America and in English spoken language. The film chronicles the home invasion of a couple and their young son, by two local, young, adult males. At first seeming well to do and polite, things take a macabre turn when the boys become menacing and hold the family hostage. They beat the father, humiliate the mother and allow the young son to witness this treatment. Eventually, the father and son are both killed, whilst the mother is tormented until the end of the film, when the relentless young men dispose of her – still alive – at sea. During the film, our attention is bought back to an earlier scene where the family, who have just moved into their holiday home, are visited by a neighbour and one of the young men who, unbeknownst to the family, is actually taking the neighbour hostage. Though not alerted to anything unusual earlier on, whilst putting on a façade of ease and calm the neighbour was in fact being paraded in front of the family under the threat of the young man. It appears that they have twice (as far as we know) been successful in taking hostages and killing.

Haneke’s initial version of Funny Games is a unique look at the home invasion horror film. Whilst the storyline plays like the typical narrative of such a film, it is the use of camera work that separates it from the others. It is in fact, a platform to discuss the film with the viewer, involving them in the storyline by having characters asking them directly how they would like the story to turn out. This type of technique is described as ‘breaking the fourth wall’, having an actor acknowledge the audience which in fictionalised films is normally out of place. We as the viewer are invited to “take part” and asked to influence the film narrative. Perhaps this is a way of questioning the viewer, challenging them to think about whether they wish to see more violence, something gruesome, or simply have a happy ending.

Funny Games is part of a number of films involving couples or families, who are taken hostage in their own home, or are being stalked, by youths seeking thrills through torture and murder, simply wanting to know what it feels like. It might be suggested that these films represent a shared social panic about youth and protecting what is yours, be it your loved ones, your home, or possessions, from those with no right to take it from you.

Benny’s Video, an earlier film, which also featured Funny Games actors Arno Frisch and Ulrich Mühe, is concerned with teen violence, the uses of technology and child nurturing.

Benny is a young, teenage boy, the son of middle class parents and brother to an older sister. The beginning of the film shows video captured of a party hosted by Benny’s sister, where she encourages others to take part in a pyramid scheme and wins a substantial amount of money. The parents discover what has been going on, but are more pleased with their daughter for using initiative, intellect and ruthlessness (the latter inadvertently), through immoral means. Benny himself, in turn, begins such a scheme at school.

One day Benny meets a young girl of the same age as him and he invites her to his house. With his parents out of the house, the new friends spend time together socialising and later on Benny shows the girl a video of a pig slaughter. The tool used to kill the pig is a bolt gun and after viewing the film, Benny reveals his own bolt gun to the girl. He insists she fire the gun at him, but she refuses. He reiterates by calling her a coward and turns the gun on her. Still not having fired a shot himself, his new friend calls him a coward as well, prompting Benny to fire the gun. Slowly, the girl falls to the floor in excruciating pain, crawling away from Benny who refuses to help her. Instead, he fires another, though not fatal shot at the girl and she continues to cry out in pain and crawl away from Benny. Finally, Benny fires the fatal shot and leaves the girl dead on his bedroom floor bleeding profusely. It is revealed that the murder was captured on home video setup.

Nonchalantly, Benny eventually hides the body in his wardrobe and washes the stained blood off of his bedroom floor. He then goes about the days following as normal, unconcerned nor distressed about the murder he has committed.

Following this, Benny reveals the video of the girl’s murder to his parents and her body stored in his wardrobe. His parent’s reaction leads them to assess whether to report their son, with the possibility of being labelled as bad, absent parents, or to cover up the murder, destroying the tape and evidence. It is agreed to follow through on the latter and not alert the police. However, after some time has passed, Benny goes against his parents and confesses to the police himself, also informing them that his parents were aware of the murder and helped to cover it up.

Another, more recent film entitled The White Ribbon, is unique to Haneke’s collection. Whilst still focussed on his typical, recurring themes concerned with violence, youth and adults/parenting, the film is set in pre-World War 1 Germany. A number of unexplained, often disturbing events and deaths occur within a small community village, where many families live. Several families are explored, with the relationships between parents and children used to suggest eerie undertones of the breeding of violence (from the parent) and the subsequent acts of violence (from the children). The notable and key issue here is that the children, by whom the story surrounds, may by World War 2 become involved in atrocities committed during the Nazi regime. Equally key here is the use of camerawork lingering upon certain characters and scenes to project a sense of voyeurism. Whilst little may happen (which is also a technique used in the film Cache, a Haneke film filmed heavily with the use of a hidden camera), the audience is subjected to watch and wait, to see what may happen if anything and to intrude longer on other people’s (character’s) lives.

Whilst Haneke is not every film lover’s cup of tea, he no doubt brings a fresh, explorative and daring form of film as art and as discovery, for the purpose of we as the audience being able to analyse our need, want and enjoyment from the medium.