Michael Haneke's Funny Games U.S.

Funny Games is a shot for shot remakes of Haneke's 1997 original. The first destroyed me, the remake continues its rampage but I would say its basically the same. I read his thought behind remaking the film was that it's points was being lost in translation for western audiences(who he felt most needed to hear what he had to say). Judging from the theatre reaction people still just ending up confused, but us fuax d-grade suburban intellectuals will probably agree his not so subtleties are easier to grasp in our native tounge. His willingness to disrespect his audience is something to behold. The film is simply a trap for those who love tourture porn/slasher flicks. Haneke is judge and jury adn wants to punish us lowly sinners once he gets us in our seats. I'm not wild on torture porn and the only film in the genre I would champion is the original Texas chainsaw Massacre. The majority of the genre is dreck that really we could all do without.

My question is where does his condemnation start and end. Obviously the beforementioned films have little to no value beyond carnal entertainment and are basically for all purposes obscene, but does Haneke condemn something as masterful as say Hitchcock's Psycho or Cluzout's Diabolique? Neither Film makes some point about existence or tells a story that is going to change peoples lives to attempt and justify its use of the darkside of humanity they are simply brilliant thrillers. Can a masterwork be excludeded from the moral complications of its vile content?

Since most people (i'm somewhere in the middle) do not accept that these films are obscene or are ambivalent about it. What is the price we are paying for this sort of entertainment being accepted? From my experience I can't see any. One might argue America's impressive output of this sort of film could possibly go as far to explain some of our more aggressive tendencies but I'm certain that this sort of cult entertainment that the populus for the most part leaves behind upon graduating highschool(or dropping out) has not a damn thing to do with it(who the fuck knows why). I mean look at the Japanese, they make the most fucked up films in the highest quantity and they are about as dangerous as a wet kiss.I have come to no answers to any of the questions the film brings forth, but goddamn do I love this film for making my head run around in circles. Haneke is a mad genius.

5/5