Hidden (Caché)

[alexandral]

I watched Michael Haneke's "Hidden" ("Cache") this week. It was a curious, very detached emotionally film. I liked the way it was made - almost all in the clinically white and black colours and without any background music. There was a small minus because the subtitles were also white and sometimes this made them hard to see.



Story in short: One day a middle aged, middle-class French couple George (Daniel Auteuil) and Anne (Juliette Binoche) Laurent receives an anonymous video tape which contains the footage of the surveillance of their life. Later they start receiving bizarre and scary-looking drawings of a child bleeding. As we follow the story that the anonymous tapes tell us we discover some things from Georges Laurent's past that he wants to stay hidden. Long time ago George's parents wanted to adopt an Algerian orphan called Majid but George didn't like the boy and by telling lies and fabricating stories he stopped his parents from adopting.

The tapes lead George to meet Madjit (who is living in the very poor conditions and whom George suspects to be the anonymous sender) for the first time in the many years and after some interaction between the two of them Madjit commits suicide in the front of George.

"Cache" was undeniably a film about racism. Not about the ignorant racism of someone with low intelligence and narrow vision, but about the racism of people who pride themselves to be highly-educated, smart and free from any prejudices. I would call this type unconscious racism. George will probably deny that he is racist but he so obviously is. Somewhere in the first 15 minutes of the film there is a revealing scene when George is having a fight with an African man on a bike. George doesn't make any racist remarks but the way this scene is made make you think that he doesn't like the African guy because he IS African.

I thought that the roots of George's racism lie in his childhood and the story with Madjit. Young George didn't like the fact that he probably would have to share his parents with this alien boy. He made this alien boy to disappear but because this left him with the huge feeling of guilt George and made him dislike "alien" people .

There are few questions of "What?" in this film for me. I really would like to discuss this with you if you seen the film..

First, I don't understand why Madjit killed himself. This can be understandable if Madjit was the tape sender and if the whole thing was his elaborate plan. Only I don't think Madjit was sending the tapes.. Why anyone would commit a suicide in the front of his arch-enemy?

Second, Who did send the tapes? There is a clue at the end of the film when during the titles rolling we see George's son and Madjit's son talking together. Did they conceive it together? This doesn't make sense to me because it seems that Madjit's son honestly loved his father.. I don't think it is Madjit himself neither, he just didin't seem to be that type of man. Madjit seems to be peace-loving and subdued. My theory (a wild one) is that George was sending the tapes himself, that he was driven by his bottled-up feeling of guilt and hate against Madjit.

Comments

[endlessdeep.livejournal.com]

Oooo, I've never heard of this film, but it sounds really good. It's a "watch it with my Mom" type of movie. :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I wish I had someone to watch it with, I was dying to discuss. This is one of the main reasons I joined LJ - I like to discuss things!

I hope you and your Mum will like it!

[trailer-spot.livejournal.com]

It's been about a year since I saw the movie so my memory about it is spotty (and as I've mentioned before it's not that I really want to remember the movie). But I certainly agree what you wrote about racism.
In addition, here's what I pieced together from what I remember and what I wrote during another comment exchange last year.

"The 'big' picture is pretty straightforward, be it France and Algeria or the West (USA+Europe) and the Middle East/Third World.
But what made me angry and I had difficulties with were the behaviour of the characters of Auteuil and Binoche. It just didn't make sense to me how Auteuil blamed the guy for the video taping. Of course, one can argue that that was part of the point, but I still didn't like it.
I also have difficulties in general with slightly hysterical characters like Binoche's. Of course, she's a mother and the communication between the couple is more than lacking but I still didn't like it. I also had difficulties with the behaviour of the child but I can't remember what it was exactly. I think it also seemed very unmotivated, the way he ran away and came back."

While I was suspecting it, I didn't recognise it myself during the final scene is that the two boys met and that they seemed to be relatively acquainted. I'm not sure if somebody mentioned that they can be seen at another point together during the movie (that's why I said earlier that I want/have to watch the movie again one day.

Personally, I originally didn't care for who sent/made the tapes since I assumed it is only a 'catalyst' and it's not really important. But in light of the final scene most people seem to think that they were made by Madjit's son. Maybe with the help of the other kid.

About the question why Madjit killed himself, I don't know. If he was only a 'symbol' then maybe to draw attention to his situation. But I don't really remember if that would make any sense. As I mentioned I didn't particularly like the movie. :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I liked this film, not to the crazy love degree but it wasn't made to be loved. But it was definitely very original and made me think about my own prejudices.

But what made me angry and I had difficulties with were the behaviour of the characters of Auteuil and Binoche. It just didn't make sense to me how Auteuil blamed the guy for the video taping. Of course, one can argue that that was part of the point, but I still didn't like it.

What didn't you like? Did you think that George's acting this way was not realistic? That he was too tense? This didn't worry me, but I thought that George was sending the tapes himself and his tension would have been very natural. My biggest argument for George's sending the tape is that story in the past when he told elaborate lies to his parents to get rid of Madjit. This just seems to be such a precedent. Another thing was that after Madjit's death Geoge finally relaxed and went to sleep as if he knew that the tapes would not be coming anymore..

I also have difficulties in general with slightly hysterical characters like Binoche's.

This didn't worry me neither. I thought that their family situation was very dysfunctional to start with and that everyone was very much hysterical and shouting at each other even before the tapes started..

I also had difficulties with the behaviour of the child but I can't remember what it was exactly. I think it also seemed very unmotivated, the way he ran away and came back."

I did have some questions about this but I thought all this was explained in his conversation with his mother that took place straight afterwards. The boy blamed his mother for her "cuddling" with their family friend in the café. The boy didn't say that he knew about it explicitly but he blamed the mother that she is always with this guy, etc. etc.. I think it was either the boy received the tape with his mother/family friend quite inappropriate cuddling in the café or he made the tapes himself..

Personally, I originally didn't care for who sent/made the tapes since I assumed it is only a 'catalyst' and it's not really important.

I think this is the logical freak in me – I am trying to rationalize everything.


About the question why Madjit killed himself, I don't know. If he was only a 'symbol' then maybe to draw attention to his situation. But I don't really remember if that would make any sense. As I mentioned I didn't particularly like the movie. :)

I think this is what bothers me the most. I like your explanation about it being a symbol but I find a difficulty here, I like it being psychologically explainable too.

[trailer-spot.livejournal.com]

What didn't you like? Did you think that George's acting this way was not realistic?

I wouldn't necessarily describe myself as a logic freak too (especially not when it comes to movies like this) but the blaming of Majid by George seemed to me very baseless. Without even a hint of logic evidence. If there's a hint then Goerge can start to imagine things and get more and more convinced that Majid is the one. But without it it's just irrational.
As I said before, maybe that's just what Haneke intended because he wanted to show such baseless racism but I still don't like it and it's very hard for me to take such a behaviour seriously. It also fails to help me understand things because I see it as totally irrational and illogical.
However, if George indeed did send the tapes himself then it would make more sense since it would confirm that he is a really sick character.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I was also thinking that even if George didn't send the tapes "reverse guilt" seems quite well known in psychology : when someone who done something wrong to another person ends up hating this person and blaming them for everything..

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Just something I realized today - "Hidden" reminded me somehow of Andrey Tarkovsky's films. And when I read a little about Michael Haneke I found out that he lists "Zerkalo" as one of his favorite films!!

And this is may be partly why I liked this film - I really love Tarkovsky!

[trailer-spot.livejournal.com]

I've only seen Stalker and Solaris by Tarkovsky so I only have a very limited knowledge about him. But I can see some similarities. None of them are easy to interpret and in my view it very much depends on yourself how you see those movies. They aren't meant to have one interpretation.
However, I don't remember those two as being as cold and distanced as Caché.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I agree. Tarkovsky's films are very much Russian and they don't do emotional distancing well in Russia (OK, may be I am falling into generalizations but this just seems so).

Stalker was my favourite film when I was a teenager (it is an adaptation of one of my favorite books, very strange adaptation admittedly). I remember having that "OMPH! This is so wonderful!" feeling when I saw Solaris for the first time.

[trailer-spot.livejournal.com]

I think Solaris was the only Russian movie that I ever saw at the movie theatre. In Russian. With subtitles. :)
That must've been 20 years ago. Almost exactly, since I remember it was during my time of military service. Even though I knew a little bit about what to expect (being described as some kind of Russian equivalent to 2001) I don't think I was well prepared for the movie back then. It would probably be very different if I saw it again today.
I saw it again partly on TV not too long ago because I wanted to compare it to the new version (of which I own the DVD) but I wasn't really in the mood for it so that's something I still want to do one day.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Even though I knew a little bit about what to expect (being described as some kind of Russian equivalent to 2001) I don't think I was well prepared for the movie back then

I take it you didn't like it. :D I must say that when I re-watched "Stalker" recently I felt that the pace is quite slow. I didn't notice this in the past - it just seemed to be quite normal. I am getting spoiled by Hollywood pace nowdays. It is not that there is anything wrong with the fast pace but there is definite beauty in the different way of developing of the story when you must just "swim" in it. (sorry for digression).

[trailer-spot.livejournal.com]

I saw the movie together with a friend. As I've mentioned before it was during the time of my/out military service. During that time we had to work various shifts. It was a night-shift week which meant we had to work from 4PM to 8AM with a few breaks and very little sleep. The shift ends on one day and the next one starts the following afternoon. And it was on such a day inbetween that we saw the movie. As you can imagine your body and sleeping rhythm is a bit screwed up during those weeks. So it probably wasn't the best time to watch Solaris. Then again, maybe it was exactly the right time to watch it. :D

The pace of movies certainly has chanced in recent years thanks to the MTV-video-clip style that has become a big influence. Thankfully, I'm still able to enjoy fast as well as slow movie. :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

It is interesting that you had to go through military service. I thought you are living in what used to be Western part of Germany. Did you have military service there?

I saw "Solaris" for the first time at school (the last year, I think). I used to live in the boarding school at that time (not because my parents had to send me away but because this was a special school for children who were good at Math and it wasn't in our city. Hee! I used to be good at math.) This school was very good and thinking back I think my love for films was developed there. We had a film club every week where they used to show us good movies of the day with some explanation before and some of those were not even in general release. I was totally blown away by "Solaris", it is probably one of the movies I remember well from that period.

Hmm. I am sorry I am reminiscing!!!

[trailer-spot.livejournal.com]

We have military service (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_service#Germany) here for every male that is capable of serving. But if you want to you can apply for some alternative service (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscientious_objector#Germany).
The amount of time you have to serve has been steadily reduced. It started with 18 months, it was 15 months when I served and I believe it's less than a year by now.

I bet you're still good at math. :D
Any other movies that made a big impression on you from that time at the film club?

"sorry for digression" ... "sorry I am reminiscing"

Of course it is your journal and you can apologise as much as you want. But it would be nice if you didn't do so, since in my view digressing and reminiscing are some of the nice parts of having conversations like that. :)
And if you continue to do so I would have to do the same since I did the same things too. :)

And most excellent icon! I haven't read your 'Hot Fuzz' entry yet since it will be another month until the movie comes out here. Woe!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Oh, interesting! I thought Germany is similar to the UK and military service is not compulsory. Military service is compulsory in Russia and I always thought of it as quite an unfair thing. Some of the guys I studied with had to do military service in a middle of their studies..

I remember seeing "Autumn Sonata" at that time.. One day I must re-watch this.

I am so glad you like the icon! I am so happy everyone seems to like "Hot Fuzz" (and I hope you will like it too. :D)

[trailer-spot.livejournal.com]

If you're going to study here you usually finish school with the Abitur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abitur) after 12 or 13 years of school. And at least back then (and I assume it's still the case) you then immediately start military service after that, before you start to study. It's the best way and very few people demand a delay. So yes, it's inconvenient in general but they at least try to time it as good as possible.

I haven't seen too many movies from Bergman. Maybe I would give them a chance if they were shown again here on TV (which hasn't been the case for quite some time). But I can understand how they might leave an impression on you. :)

I think I take that homage to Leon 'Hot Fuzz' icon just to make sure I don't forget. :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I see! In Russia it was very strange (I don't know what the system is now!!) because even though children finish school at 17 and the military service only started at 18. So if someone enrolled into University they had to take a break after the first year and do the service. Some on the Universities had an exemption and some didn't.

I am glad you like the icon. :D Really i am :D

[jenhughlove.livejournal.com]

It looks interesting!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I hope you will like it - it is quite unusual movie!!!

[aerynsunx.livejournal.com]

~~~HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!~~~

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Wo-ho!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you!! I got to have two mother's days this year (in uK it is a third Sunday before Easter)!! You don't even know how happy you made me!!