Crime, deception, mystery and torment are just a few of the themes that the German film, “White Ribbon” puts on display. Through cinematic techniques and riveting characters, “White Ribbon” manages to keep the viewer intrigued throughout the movie.

It was filmed in black and white and has no soundtrack, which adds an interesting dynamic to the story. The silences that fill the theater bring the tension and apprehension levels up almost further than if the silences had been filled with music.

Cinematically, “White Ribbon” was fantastic; dramatically it was disturbing. The images in the movie will stick with you for the rest of the day in an almost haunting fashion. Don’t get me wrong; it’s good but disturbing. It also has no closure at the end. It is set right before the outbreak of World War I and ends abruptly when the narrator gets drafted into the army. The film leaves you to make the final verdict on the mystery of who is behind the series of monstrous crimes in the film, the ones that shake the village to the core. The movie doesn’t actually show a lot of the images, leaving you to fill in the blanks yourself. So if you have an active imagination, the movie may leave you in a different mindset than other viewers.

The title, “White Ribbon,” comes from the ribbon the village pastor makes his oldest children, Klara and Martin, wear to remind them of innocence after they lie to him. Throughout the film you can see how the title ties in, but everything that happens is the opposite of innocent.

Thematically the film is very strong. Personally, I took it to show that nobody in the world is as innocent as they seem. People make choices for reasons only known to them and it really is you who is in control of your actions.

If you are up for an intriguing, yet disturbing film then I would definitely recommend “White Ribbon.” It is an unsettling look at life and the decisions people make.