Funny Games remake

Well the English-language remake of Haneke's Funny Games (1997) is now out in the US (and presumably soonish to follow in Australia.

Funny Games was the first Haneke film that I saw (at the Melbourne Film Festival) and it has continued to leave an impression on me. I've previously blogged about it here and here.

My favourite Haneke probably remains Time of the Wolf - but the original Funny Games is unlike anything I've seen before or since in its exploration of violence, the intersection between violence and entertainment and the complicity of the audience. The fact that (materially) all violence occurs off-screen is both maddening and a relief. And the (1997) film has the courage not to blink (which I've always admired); it ends exactly as you always knew it would. Not a fun watch but a must-see.


Obviously I have no idea how Haneke's remake of his own film has turned out - but at present it's scoring 46% on Rotten Tomatoes. AO Scott in the NY Times, a reviewer I always enjoy but don't always agree with, provides an interesting review of the new film - but it's hard to tell if he liked it or not.



One aspect Scott picks up on is the (unarguable) pretentiousness and self-consciousness of Haneke's filmmaking. Haneke is at least as much cultural theorist as filmmaker (though he is a brilliant film stylist) and Funny Games is a prime example of his film-as-social-theory style.

I'm looking forward to seeing it for myself and comparing it with my (burned-in) mental image of the original film.