Unlike the unforgettable decadence and destruction in Haneke's other works, this is a frustrating absurd drama. The Beckett-style layout is combined with its consistent analysis of the middle class and presented in a postmodern context. Regrettably, the anti-narrative style has become a shackle under the grand apocalyptic background. Fortunately, its consistently sharp photography schedule avoids the hollowing out of the subject matter.
The name of the film comes from the Nordic epic "Valospar", which describes the beginning of the universe to the end of the world from the perspective of a witch. In the film narrative, the protagonist's family also exiles to a deserted place. At the beginning of the film, we witnessed the death of her husband George and the extortion of her property. Anne and her children sought refuge in the countryside, and the door was closed. Indifference exists not only among people, but even within family members. There is no emotional breakdown in the family, and there is a certain gap in the relationship between the child and the mother. As time evolves, this emotional alienation will become more serious. Interestingly, fire became a very important theme in the movie. Livestock were burned to surface some kind of virus infection. The departure of the younger brother plunged us and the protagonist into an endless dark wilderness. If the flame of a lighter symbolizes the only hope in the last days, the fire that burned the barn refuge by mistake has proved that the illusion of returning to normal life is completely bankrupt.
Haneke did not elaborate on the background of the "end of the world" because the theme of the film is questioning. Once the fragile framework of society collapses, all fear is generated through the way people interact. The Anne family then met an unknown teenage boy. Unlike the usual science fiction movies, the boy did not become a "hero" to help the disadvantaged. Instead, he became a utilitarian rebel who lacked commitment to social norms in his own way. The family was led by the boy to a community at the train station. There is social order here, but the community is controlled by a strong gun leader (a symbol of power). The original bartering and collective labor system was restored in the community. A group of people seem to be in the same boat, but hostility and prejudice are still going on. The act of making enemies seems to be a tool to shift contradictions. The villagers blame the Arabs and boys for the mistakes, and the rest profit from the suffering of others (deception, Planting, rape). The Anne's family was not affected, but the children apparently accepted this set of jungle rules. As more refugees poured into the shelter, the family who murdered her husband suddenly arrived at the station. Due to lack of evidence, the mother's accusation was rushed, and it was only then that Annie completely broke down. And the ruined former leader also fell with the advent of the new rule. As for the scene of his brother Benny in front of the bonfire, it sublimated the entire huge metaphor of human civilization.
Hanek once again showed us violence in human nature and how fair law and order collapse in a utopian society in a parallel time and space. We don't know whether the scene of the ending train is the salvation of the crowd or the projection of the subconscious mind.
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