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Caché
The repressed returns, armed with video camera
2005
Review: January 17, 2006
Director: Michael Haneke
Starring: Daniel Auteuil, Juliette Binoche, Maurice Bénichou
I doubt it, the movie is slow enough as it is.
THE SETUP:
Couple is forced to reflect on French-Algerian relations when spooky videotapes of their apartment start showing up.
DISCUSSION:
I had seen the director’s previous film, Time of the Wolf, which is the story of an ecological catastrophe and subsequent collapse of society in France. I thought it was interesting but didn’t love it, and I have heard nothing but praise about his film previous to that, The Piano Teacher [which is SO on my Netflix list], so when I kept hearing great things about this one [and being wholly on the French Thriller train since the delightfully tense Red Lights], me and my friend hot-footed it to see this.
The story is that Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche are receiving videotapes that [at first] show the front of their house. This is a little bit like the setup of Lost Highway, and one suspects that that’s where the idea came from. But this movie stays with the concept of being “terrorized” through innocuous [but vaguely threatening] videotapes, and later, violent child’s drawings.
The opening shot shows the house, and we later discover that we are watching one of the videotapes. This trick is repeated several times, where you’re watching something you think is real, only to discover you’re watching a video. This is one of those “indict the viewer” things where you [yes, YOU!] the audience are called into question for wanting to be a witness to the terror and violence onscreen, and how invasive simply LOOKING at someone can be. This is good, but you know, this movie indicts us for wanting to see violence, A History of Violence indicts us for wanting to see violence, King Kong indicts us for wanting to see a spectacle… it’s like, all RIGHT, we’re fucking INDICTED! Jesus! It’s all our fault, okay? It’s all our fault for wanting to see a movie, okay? Next we’ll hear that Cheaper By the Dozen 2 indicts viewers… though in a way, I guess it really does. I want to move on to movies that CONDEMN viewers. Or CURSE viewers, like some Ring shit. Like, “I saw Hoodwinked, and now if I ever truly fall in love, I’ll turn into a spiny cuttlefish!”
Okay, but back to Caché.
Anyway, so there’s some marital tension, of course, and the tapes and the menacing drawings they come wrapped in all start to ratchet it up. The mystery deepens, and details are stingily doled out, adding up to an oblique explanation. You might want to bone up on your French/Algerian history beforehand, as this movie ends up being a big ol’ allegory for the whole thing, and the situation between the two parties today. If you miss that, you’re really missing half the movie, so I’m serious, do a Google search and find a quick refresher on recent history re: Algeria and France. You don't want to be the dork who thought you were just watching a French thriller, do you?
As with the somewhat similar Red Lights, this movie is excellent at building tension out of minor situations and slight gestures. I admire how the very stillness of certain characters make them come off as even more violent and threatening. I also really admire the poster for this film! Look at it beforehand and keep it in mind, as there is a moment here that is quite shocking in itself, but also explains quite clearly where the poster image comes from, and makes the whole thing very clever and meaningful. Also keep your eyes open during the much-discussed final shot, because it’s quite possible to miss a major piece of information that will change your perception of what’s in store for these characters. I take it as fairly bleak, but apparently there are some out there who think it's the beginning of a new dawn of interracial harmony. But you know, I know one person who thinks Nights of Cabiria has a happy ending, so you just never know what someone’s going to think.
SHOULD YOU WATCH IT?
Yes, especially if you like that whole French suspense vibe a la Red Lights.
