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FUNNY
GAMES,
Austria, 1997, is directed by Michael Haneke, born in Munich, Germany.
Haneke studied philosophy, psychology, and drama in Vienna. Haneke
wrote scripts and directed for German television, directed stage
productions. FUNNY GAMES is his 6th feature film.
Writes Toronto programmer Dimitri Eipides, Haneke has long been
fascinated by violence in modern life. . . . . FUNNY GAMES
deals with a family threatened by external violence not of their
own making. He also extends his analysis in another way, implicating
his audiences in what is going on.
In Cinternational's
interview with Michael Haneke, he emphasizes his take on violence
and media (and how the portrayal of violence in media creates the
illusion that the viewer is not implicated). Haneke wishes to make
the viewer conscious of implication. FUNNY GAMES,
according to Haneke, shows the victim point of view, not the perpetrator
of the violence. Haneke asks how the narrative of the helpless victim
matches with media victimization. The latter may be victims of detachment,
borne of media desensitization. In viewing FUNNY GAMES,
there is no such escape. The spectator, through not seeing
desensitized images, is actually forced to face victimization
and violence.
Haneke explains
that FUNNY GAMES is styled for the spectator who believes
that violence is a game. By positioning that spectator very much
in the victim's chair, the realization dawns that violence is not
a game; violence is pain. Haneke believes that the direct
address of the perpetrator to the audience, assuming the viewer
continues to view the film following that direct address, creates
of that viewer an accomplice in the violence. Many psychological/film
technical issues are suggested by the direct address technique as
intended by Haneke.
Cinternational
reviews "Funny Games."
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