Funny Games by Michael Haneke
November 20, 2009
I saw Funny Games for the second time last night, and more two years after it came out, I was equally “shocked” as i was the first time. Funny Games is not a “horror movie”, but is atleast equally, if not more terrifying than most gruesome slasher flicks out there. This movie challengers the viewer as to what their conscience is willing to endure. This movie is not about the boogie man or any sort of supernatural evil, no this is more relentless. What happens when you make a movie where the Boogie Man doesn’t die in the end, when the Biggie Man WINS in the end? Moreover, what effect will that have an audience? You know from pretty early on that this movie is not going to have a good outcome, yet this viewer, (me and my girlfriend in this case…and imagine thousands of others) persisted in watching it all fall apart. It’s like that whole thing they say about when you see a terrible car accident on the side of the road and look over to see terrible after math. What does this say about the viewer and about society as a whole? Are we all secret masochists?
What is interesting about this film is that it gets to the core of this question. At the end of it all you left with is the Boogie Man, because the Boogie Man wins, and so, do you join his team? Beyond all this, Funny Games was a brilliantly written, directed and acted movie. The directing style of Haneke is plain and classic, steering far from horror movie cliches like over editing and “pop out scenes”. Instead this film builds with momentum and the knowledge of the inevitable tragedy that leaves you hanging off your seat, ready to turn off the tv while eager for more. Michael Pitt is excellent has existential prep boy-cum sado masochistic nietzian murderer, oddly reminiscent of his character in Larry Clark’s failure, “Ken Park”. The movie also featured some excellent music neo-experimental spazz jazz by John Zorn over Jean Luc Godard style titling shots. I give this film a 9 out of 10.
