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Funny Games [1997]


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Editorial
Synopsis

A powerfully graphic film (even though no violence is ever shown on the screen itself) about an Austrian family that goes on a country vacation and becomes the victim of two cold-blooded psychopaths who are out to torture them with their funny games. Haneke's point, that fictional violence is as real as the real world's, is presented chillingly in this extremely well-acted, yet potentially offensive effort. Weak of stomach, beware.


Should you be watching?
Review date: 2008-07-02 Rating: 8 out of 10

A nasty little film from Germany, or Austria. I forget which, but no matter. A couple and their young son go for a holiday in their lake house. Two young men visit, ostensibly to borrow eggs, but who actually hold the family hostage and spend the night torturing them both mentally and physically. It's quite a harrowing watch and at times unbearably tense. You perhaps need to be a little bit of a sadist to watch, which makes me wonder about myself as i found the whole thing grimly compulsive. As Mark Kermode said, if you make it through to the end of this film, you need to ask yourself why.

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Reviews


This is not a film ...
Review date: 2008-03-18 Rating: 10 out of 10

... It is nothing less than an unwilling acceptance to the subconscious invitation of this grotesquely dark THING, (which innocently disguises itself as a mere psychological horror film) for you to be sadistically tortured for an hour and 44 minutes. And you will be surprised, in that most frustrating and menacing way, as to how much you will enjoy the torture. It will force you to admit that you have perversely enjoyed it for a very simple reason - the one being that we all have Paul and Peter in us, although consciously we will always try to identify more with Ana, Georg and their son.

Yes, you will hopefully be naive enough to get this DVD - and in the context of Funny Games being "naive" is the best approach - you will then insert it in your DVD player (hopefully you have a good one, accompanied by a large plasma and surround sound for that ultimate experience that the excellent Tartan's Special Edition offers) ... then you will pres the "PLAY" button on your remote ... and then ... one third through the film your legs and arms will become jelly, your lungs will fill up with rage, and your soul will go bright red with embarrassment ... for not having had the capacity to press the "STOP" button on your remote much earlier - long before you have gone through the whole length of the film, not realising you have not blinked, inhaled air nor noticed any other than an enormous desire to keep on watching and watching until the last letter of the film's credits. But hey, be warned ... that is only the end of the film called Funny Games ...

... Its terrifying impact starts really only after you have seen it! Than, my advice is to please make sure you do not have frying pans, ashtrays or any other heavy objects around, as you will feel tempted to throw them into your expensive plasma screen - be this positive or a negative thing. Enjoy this unique masterpiece at your peril. You will have not seen anything like it, neither before nor after. Even other, masterfully executed creations by Michael Haneke, of which some (Hidden, Code Unknown and ultimately The Piano Teacher) are better and more mature productions, do not come close to the hypnotic and deceptive nature of his Funny Games.

The reason why I can not give this film ten stars is because the Amazon does not allow for more than five, just as seeing it will not allow you to forget the feeling it had provoked in you. It will always linger somewhere inside your psyche. Michael Haneke studied psychology before moving into making films, and Funny Games is an undisputed proof that he was an exceptional student.

Bravo maestro!


Terryfiying
Review date: 2007-10-15 Rating: 10 out of 10

Michael Haneke's thriller masterpiece is without doubt the most horrible, uncomfortable, edge of seat and brilliant thriller I have ever seen.
The story of a fairly well off family of three, Georg the father (Ulrich Mühe) Anna the mother (Susanne Lothar) and their son travel to their holidy home. Once they arrive they are greeted by a strange but well presented and polite chap Peter (Frank Giering) who asks for some eggs this leads on to his friend an equally well presented and polite man Paul (Arno Frisch) joining in who together play funny sadistic games with the family.
From the moment the eggs are asked for there is an air of tension that I have never witnessed in cinema it never ever lets up. Slowly the film goes from creepy to horryfiying in such a clever and ingenious way. The viewer doesn't at any point get to see the really nasty stuff that is left to the imagination and once the audience has it in their head you get to see the aftermath. There was many a moment that my eyes would be focusing on other things because what was on screen is simply to uncomfortable. There is also no soundtrack (a theme with haneke's films) which only serves to heighten the tension.
The acting is simply superb from all the main protagonists and the directing from Haneke is brilliant although as with all his films he does something unconventional that seems to split audiences. In one specific scene Haneke turns this into a study of violence as portrayed by the media and how unrealistic it is. At least that is my view on the most famous, controversial and well quite weird scene towards the end of the film.
All in all this is filmaking at its best with so much left to talk about once its over here's hoping that Haneke's English Language remake is just as terryfying as its original

Funny? Funny How?!
Review date: 2007-05-24 Rating: 8 out of 10

Next time you find yourself looking to define the word `excruciating' look no further than the 1997 Michael Henke chiller Funny Games.

The story is a simple tale of two `happy go lucky' young psychopaths who ingratiate themselves with a married couple and their son at a secluded vacation retreat and then go on to hold them hostage and terrorise them by playing - you guessed it - funny games. For the viewer the film is a cinematic endurance test of the darkest timbre, most of the violence takes place off-camera engaging your imagination in the process, which as you know is worse that anything a filmmaker can throw at you. Who knows better than yourself the thing that scares you the most?

Just as disturbing, is the ordinariness of the two intruders. Whereas Hannibal Lector or Clockwork Orange's Alex are intelligent, charismatic and (all killing aside) fun, these `funny gamesters' are perfect examples of the brutality of the banal. Their games appear to come from a desire to avoid boredom or worse, from staring into the void where they're likely to come face to face with themselves. If it wasn't for the injurious consequences of their antics they would just as soon bore you to death instead.

For all the tricks and frustrations this film subjects you to, none of its horrors even comes close to the sheer mental disturbance of the ultra-white, ultra tight tennis shorts as worn by one of the tormentors. In terms of `all time horrific movie moments', I'd put them right up there with the Exorcist's alternative use of the crucifix or Psycho's shower time etiquette. Be warned, these shorts are only to be viewed by those with a gut like a blacksmith's tool bag.

This is probably the only film that has ever been made that is literally asking the viewer "Why are you watching this?" Henke's movies generally deal with the extremes of human behaviour but Funny Games employs a series of knowing references to the fact that by witnessing this horror you are somehow complicit in it. The entire film seems to be challenging your continued involvement via explicit devices such as the characters talking about their actions in terms of film structure, and a `rewind' sequence that will have you calling the Samaritans. Even in the final frame you are subconsciously accused of sharing the psyche of the tormentors by still watching; by which time it's too late and the funny game that has been played here is on... you.

Adrian Stranik


Unsettling
Review date: 2006-12-10 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is an unsettling film to watch, much like the director's The Piano Teacher. I believe the director made it to challenge viewers' perceptions and their consumerism of violence in film. Much of the violence in the film occurs off screen, but with sound used to great effect so that you imagine what's going on - perhaps as a viewer you make it seem even more violent? I've seen people criticize the film in terms of plot - for example, would someone else deal with their tormentors in a different way from that in the film, but I feel that the film demonstrates violence and fear in a more realistic way. However, by engaging the viewer in this way, the director is demonstrating how passive we are when watching explicit violence in Hollywood horrors and violence - do we ever question the violence in these films?

The director even plays with the audience's idea of how the situation can unfold, at one point rewinding a scene and then playing it differently. I've read that in Cannes the audience had cheered at the original scene, but it must have been almost nauseating for them to see the scene being changed before their eyes. There's also a moment when I felt it must now be over for them, and I really felt like tension had been relieved, but slowly the director piles the pressure back on again.

The film draws you in, you feel real apprehension and fear for the characters being held, but then all of a sudden, one of the tormentors speaks to camera, and you're jolted out of your position as a mere passive viewer, and for a moment even feel relief, but then the film pulls you back in again, and once again you're in the position of the captives.

I mentioned earlier The Piano Teacher - I didn't like this film when I first saw it, but I think this was because that film was difficult to watch - Haneke has a gift of making uncomfortable films; he makes you wonder should you be getting enjoyment from watching violence or sadistic behaviour on screen? Haneke makes the viewer an active participant in his films, and by the time the films are over you find yourself questioning the film, but also you're own reaction to them.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Susanne Lothar
Ulrich Muhe
Arno Frisch
Frank Giering

Creators:
Susanne Lothar (Primary Contributor)
Ulrich Muhe (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Tartan Video
Manufacturer: Tartan Video
EAN: 5023965365521
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Anamorphic, Collector's Edition, PAL,
Release date: 2006-06-26
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
Running time: 104 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1997
Language: English (Subtitled)
Language: German (Original Language)

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