Upcoming Review
Added 2021-06-25 01:12:47 +0000 UTCOkay, I told you that next week I'll be doing a Grease review, to "clear the air" so to speak for myself and my hang ups with that film. But I just realized how deeply fucked up it is that in contrast to that one, I'm gonna do a review for Haneke's Funny Games the following week. XD Was not an intentional dichotomy, I swear! But I admit, this was my first time seeing Funny Games all the way through. I had only seen scenes here and there overtime. I have to say, it was extremely difficult to watch, even for me. And yet, I am planning to watch again to really firm up my opinions on it. As of now, I definitely would love to hear what you guys think. It's clearly one that splits people. BIG time. I've known quite a few people who normally aren't particularly sensitive, yet they just couldn't make it through this one. What was your experience?
Comments
Love this choice... This film haunted me. When I saw the original 1997 version, it completely shocked me and I would even say I felt half violated by the experience and half complicit in it. I questioned why I watched the movie to the end, actually, but I just had to. Not knowing the actors, combined with the stylistic simplicity, really contributed to the authenticity of it. This was for the most part lost on me when I saw the US version. Even though it's a shot-for-shot remake, I find the two versions have a slightly different effect, and both are worth seeing.
Adam Gregus
2021-06-25 10:33:53 +0000 UTCI think shame might be too strong a word. It’s been years since I’ve seen it, but I don’t remember it being too didactic a film. Haneke felt that cinematic violence had been aestheticized to the point that it no longer resembled what it was, a profoundly horrible act. And by taking away the usual story beats to be found in a home invasion story and letting the villains control the narrative, he denies any kind of catharsis to be had. In doing that and essentially rendering the film as one long torture session, he’s confronting the audience with what it is that we watch. All this is embedded into the film without any kind of sledgehammer approach (I mean, aside from the violence), and if anything, underneath the horrific surface, there’s actually something of a humanistic message in the film about valuing human life, fictional and otherwise. Having said that, I’m going to go watch The Raid.
Bennett Oliver
2021-06-25 01:52:51 +0000 UTCI prefer the 2007 just cause Tim Roth and Naomi Watts are brilliant in their roles.
Tyler Shobe
2021-06-25 01:34:56 +0000 UTCSo...I'm gonna technically review the 1997 one, but I think it will likely be more an accumulation of the two. Not sure yet, to be honest. But we will see.
Deepfocuslens
2021-06-25 01:30:44 +0000 UTCSaw the 2007 version. Can’t say I enjoyed myself too much, but I suppose that was the point. I remember Haneke saying that the film was meant to be a statement against the glorification of violence in cinema and that the reason why he remade the film in English was to direct that statement towards American films. He certainly got his point across. I’ve seen it once and never want to see it again.
Bennett Oliver
2021-06-25 01:27:09 +0000 UTCI've never understood the people that this movie is trying to shame you for watching violence in film. Mark Kermode notably despises the movie cause he feels it sticks its nose up at horror fans. I just can't agree. It wants you to think about how you view violence in film but I never felt like it was talking down to me as a viewer. Maybe I just don't have a total grasp on the movie, which is totally likely, but I never saw the movie as being as mean-spirited and lecture-y as some claim it is.
Tyler Shobe
2021-06-25 01:24:59 +0000 UTCI watched the American version first sometime last year and it really rubbed me the wrong way with just how smugly it presents itself. Rewatched it along with watching the original version just a few months ago and I actually don’t hate either one but I’m still not a particular fan. I totally see what it’s doing and I think in some aspects in certain scenes it’s successful but overall I just find it a bore and not nearly as clever as it thinks it is with all the commentary its trying to make on horror movies and the act of viewing them. I’m very interested to see the rest of Haneke’s work especially Amour but beyond the fact that remaking Funny Games shot for shot just for an American audience was beyond unnecessary and added absolutely nothing, I just don’t like the story. I do prefer the American one though (I think) and it certainly looks incredible and the performances are quite amazing.
Dan Tedesco
2021-06-25 01:22:17 +0000 UTCAbsolutely love both the Austrian and U. S. I’m a sucker for Haneke’s clinical style, but on top of that I think it’s one the greatest Rumination’s on violence in film.
jared Clarke
2021-06-25 01:17:52 +0000 UTCObviously our first question is 1997 or 2007?
Tyler Shobe
2021-06-25 01:15:22 +0000 UTC
