Monday, August 16, 2010

Hidden (Caché) by Michael Haneke

   What are you hiding?

   A hidden camera films the front door of an affluent french couple's house. Videos of this camera's image are sent to the couple played by Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche, wrapped in a childish drawing of a children with a cut neck and lots of blood flowing. A quest to try to understand the origin of these tapes begins the flow of a movie that will surprise you many times as it unfolds.

   Ironically, the American DVD release reads on the cover: "Like Hitchcock, but creepier." I can't really compare this movie with anything from the old master. Here the spectator can't really distinguish himself from the characters, a comfort that Hitchcock allows us.
  
   Repercussions of colonialism is one of the hidden issues. The character of Juliette Binoche seems to be hiding her meetings. The final meeting of the son's of Daniel Aulteuil and Majid is kind of hidden (how many people really see it?). The young son is clearly not telling the whole truth to his parents. What is the reationship between the two sons?

   And in a sense a reflection on movies. The fact that we hide, spying this people on the flickering screen. And hide ourselves and hide things from ourselves. This movie stands beeing seen again and again. I love the idea that the truth of this story is hidden. We don't have the closure of finding out what really happened.

   Some other movies resonate with Hidden: Coppola's The Conversation, for the idea of spying. Argent, by Robert Bresson, for the detached way of telling the story. Bresson, actually, can be considered a stylistic precursor of Haneke.

1 comment:

  1. - I will probably begin with a your personal small introduction about what the movie is about and then talk about this other interesting points of view. Also, motivate conversations and comments by asking people; what do you think this element means. A small embeded trailer video will jog people's view. When blogging you always ask yourself, what is the value that people get by reading your blog that no one else offer.

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