Horrors within horrors packed neatly into 'Cache'
By Nick Norman
Michael Haneke's latest film, "Cache" (French for "hidden") profiles a dysfunctional French family as they suffer through mysterious occurrences.
Without warning, they begin to discover packages on their doorstep. Inside, crude childlike drawings depict blood flowing from mouths. Creepy enough? No way, this is French cinema.
Wrapped in the papers are video cassettes showing the family's home. The tapes run for hours and show everything: comings, goings, lights on, lights off. At first it seems like a practical joke, but more drawings arrive and more videos appear.
With an increasing paranoia reminiscent of Albert Camus' literary works, the family struggles to make sense of the packages. Who wishes them harm? Are they even a threat at all?
Partially due to the bizarre circumstances, the primary characters--a middle-aged couple with a teenage son--threaten to boil over with each sentence.
Like a heated pot of water, bubbles erupt on the surface. With each discovery of shady histories and uncovered lies, more bubbles gather. Fights break out, more tapes are delivered and the drawings grow increasingly violent.
I'm afraid I can't say anything more. I might have already said too much. On the other hand, I could have said nothing at all. You won't know until you see the film. Even then, you won't be sure. And if this makes you angry, go see "Big Momma's House 2."
This film chilled my blood. The subject matter stinks of real-life horror. Stalkers disrupt a tedious marriage, childhood trauma seeps to the surface and children go missing.
Worst of all, we never really understand why anything happens. It's helplessness coupled with chilling cinematography--a true masterpiece.
Haneke shoots much of his film in real-time. We see the action as the character experiences it, often in one take.
For example, a man steps onto an elevator, we ride with him to his destination. All while he glares at a his enemy with bloody rage.
Unable to act with strangers in the elevator, we wait with him, standing between him and his target. The effect made my hands tremble.
Amongst a constellation of provocative themes, "Cache" explores suppressed guilt, both personal and cultural. For example, it alludes to the Paris massacre of Algerian protesters in 1961, forcing us to ponder the devastating impact of neglected accountability.
Even today, no one knows the details, but roughly 200 unarmed Algerian immigrants were shot, strangled, beaten or drowned to death by Paris police.
The media ignored the event and the French government sidestepped responsibility.
Haneke channels this unrest and tension into every frame of his film. Action punctuates everyday life, and neither the characters nor the audience expect it.
We've heard people say, "I don't know what hit me, I had no time to react." Never before have I felt and seen exactly that. This film hits you like a car wreck, in a good way, of course. It's unexpected, unpredictable and utterly unique.
GRADE: A+
Contact Nick Norman at (408) 551-1918 or npnorman@scu.edu.