Funny Games

A film by Michael Haneke (Austria, 1997),

with Susanne Lothar, Ulrich Mühe, Arno Frisch, Frank Giering, Stefan Clapczynski.

Georg and his little son just can't figure out yet why Anna is so aggressive toward the two young men that have come over on behalf of their neighbors to ask her to help them out with a few eggs... What was supposed to be a peaceful holiday soon turns into a real nightmare...

Funny Games is a cruel thriller that scandalized people during the 1997 Cannes Festival. Among the main charges mentioned: pointless violence -even though mostly only suggested-, immoral story, inappropriate sick humor... Well, that's all true, in a way. But "that's what violence really is" Haneke argues. For Benny's Video's director, violence has taken into a glamourized dimension that is actually not at all representative of the reality. And to arouse some response, he deliberately portrays a violence that is unmotivated, inconsistent somehow, and unexpected. Peter and Paul -the two young men- are educated students, they're handsome, cultured, and seemingly well-off. Yet, that definitely doesn't prevent them from being dangerous psychos. Who's fault is that? Society? Education? Media? Haneke doesn't really provide the audience with a clear answer even if constant references to TV programs and devices are mentioned more or less maliciously -especially Paul's direct addresses to the audience. That Funny Games is a technical achievement is undeniable; Haneke's approach of the thriller genre is particularly innovative: he succeeds in creating tension within a most disturbing casual atmosphere. The cast is extremely convincing to that effect: Arno Frisch's handsome acting as a detached sadistic character turns mesmerizing while Frank Giering brilliantly plays extreme emotions, not to mention Susanne Lothar's oustanding performance of a hardly bearable disarray. "Whether the audience leaves outraged or enthusiastic, I promise they won't leave indifferent" says Haneke. It's precisely not that obvious that Funny Games is more interesting than entertaining. If so, then Haneke's social message would have been vain... and dangerous for who understands enthusiasm the wrong way!

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