Interview with Director Michael Haneke: ‘Every Film Rapes the Viewer’

SPIEGEL

Austrian director Michael Haneke discusses his shocking new film, “The White Ribbon,” which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, his penchant for gloomy stories that unnerve his viewers and his unsettling view of humanity.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Haneke, you won the Palme d’Or in Cannes this year for your shocking film “The White Ribbon.” Now Germany is even sending you, as an Austrian, to represent it in Hollywood at the Oscars. Let’s hope the Oscar jury won’t have to go into therapy after all that bleakness.

Haneke: Bleakness?! My film contains a beautiful love story, which isn’t bleak, and there are moments of tenderness. But I am stereotyped for portraying only our dark sides. I believe that I love people, but even the most likeable people don’t come with a guarantee that they’ll always remain likeable. Each of us is capable of anything. It just takes being in the right situation.

SPIEGEL: “The White Ribbon” portrays a German village in 1913 and 1914, shortly before the beginning of World War I, in which mysterious acts of violence occur. The human relationships in the village are deeply troubled. There are no heroes, and there is no salvation. Do you really have such a negative view of humanity?

Haneke: My view of humanity isn’t negative. But the world in which we live is dominated by disorders. I believe that the purpose of drama is to illustrate conflicts and it’s something I take seriously. …

Martin Scorsese – Casino

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