Beautiful Damage: Funny Games

Now with having seen the new version of "Funny Games" By Michael Haneke last night, I now think of what the films are really about. Michael Haneke made the same film in Austria ten years ago. He went back and remade the film, shot for shot, line for line(almost.) His reasoning for this was because he felt the point of the original film was about the senseless violence of American films that had no real consequence, violence for entertainments sake. The film represents that, but with an unhappy solution. So now we approach what Haneke is doing with this idea of repeating his point again. To me, it works maybe better the second time around. The look and feel of the original film are flawless, the performances just as fine, different, but still great. But as I sat in the theatre watching the film knowing the outcome and what was to come after the first thirty minutes I felt an overwhelming sense of dread. Here it comes or now we are in for it. As I have said to many people, this is the most horrifying film I have ever seen. I admire the film so much for almost taunting it's audience that even thinking about them getting out is pointless. Even so much so where a pivotal scene is re-wound on screen to repeat it, but with a very different outcome. In terms of affecting his audience, this is Haneke's most accomplished film. I wish more films were made like this, maybe not as distressing, but just as fearless. Not being at the beck and call of it's audience, but challenging them to see and accept what is happening, no matter how intense it gets.

Trailer for the 1997 version of Funny Games