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Abomination or
Masterpiece... Both and Neither!
This shot-for-shot remake of the 1997
original, by the same director, is a
justifiable condemnation of the putrid
fascination some people have for
blood-thirsty entertainment. It teases the
audience by titillating us with depravity --
then follows it up by telling us to go fuck
ourselves in the ass with our conventional
expectations.
I agree with the concept and intent of the
film. However, ultimately, "Funny Games" is
exactly what it purports to hate -- a
voyeuristic slaughter of an innocent family
for public consumption.
Is it possible to simultaneously respect a
film's message and loathe the execution (pun
intended) of that message's delivery? After
all, I am all for exposing this culture's
obscene obsession with mindless violence --
but surely I cannot condone the use of
mindless violence to do so.
"Funny Games" stars Naomi Watts and Tim Roth
as a couple who are vacationing at their
lake house with their young son. Michael
Pitt and Brady Corbet are two seemingly
innocent looking young men, dressed in
tennis whites and odd matching gloves, who
swing by to ask for some eggs.
Their extremely polite behavior soon sends
alarm bells down our spines and it doesn't
take long before their true intentions
surface. Soon, the family is hostage in
their own home -- the father severely
injured by a Calloway golf club to the
kneecap. The "Funny Games" begin.
The premise is one we have seen before --
crazy psychopaths torturing the good guys
for pleasure. Nothing new there. The
difference lays in the directorial choices
after the half way point. There are some
extraordinarily shocking sequences of mental
anguish and physical pain. There are a few
alarming moments when the "fourth wall" is
overtly broken, allowing one of the killers
to speak directly to us in the audience --
mocking us -- teasing us.
There are a handful of excruciatingly long
takes in the most harrowing of situations.
These scenes are a staple of director,
Michael Haneke, who loves to set the camera
down and walk away as we stare at the
motionless screen for what seems an
eternity. It is clearly an attempt to
unsettle and irritate the viewers... and it
works.
I found myself returning over and over to
the same word when trying to describe this
film. Soulless. It is devoid of soul.
Watching "Funny Games" is tantamount to
watching a brutal murder to its silent
conclusion... only to have the killer walk
peacefully on to find another victim.
I couldn't wrap my brain around why this
film existed. It isn't entertaining. It
isn't particularly thrilling. It isn't
anything other than voyeuristic trash.
AND YET!!! That is essentially the point.
That is what the film is going for. Haneke
wants us to feel ashamed. Haneke wants us to
be disgusted at ourselves for having paid to
see this. Haneke wants us to question why
violence is part of our cinematic culture to
such an unhealthy degree. This is a
commentary on torture porn. This is a
commentary on our tastes.
It is a commentary and a condemnation.
"Funny Games" gives us all the ingredients
we typically get in a slasher flick, but
blatantly dangles out of our reach the
"resolution" that typically gives us comfort
or justification for our attention.
This film isn't going to give us that pat on
the back by saying, "It's alright... the bad
guys will get their comeuppance in the end".
This film isn't going to forgive our lack of
morality with such a conventional ending.
Instead, this film tells us to go fuck
ourselves for being such depraved animals.
Maybe, that's what makes this movie a
masterpiece.
Maybe, that's what makes this an
exploitative disgrace.
Maybe that's what makes this movie both of
those things.
©
Written by TC Candler |
Director
Michael
Haneke
Cast
Naomi
Watts
Tim Roth
Brady Corbet
Michael Pitt
Running Time
112m
Rated
R
Official
Website
n/a |
