HIDDEN (CACHE)

France, 2005, 115 minutes, Colour.
Daniel Auteuil, Juliette Binoche.
Directed by Michael Haneke.

Cache is so good that Michael Haneke can be called a master-filmmaker. His insights into violence and the media came powerfully through in Benny’s Video and Funny Games. Deeper themes were intriguingly presented in Code Inconnu and The Piano Teacher. He took a different road in the apocalyptic Time of the Wolf. Now he is back in suburban France with a middle class family and urban terror – and more.

The opening requires a little patience. This is rewarded as the plot unfolds, literally a plot of menace by surveillance video tape, childishly brutal drawings and anonymous calls. The target is a TV celebrity interviewer. As the threats increase, he and we delve into his past. The likeable victim, Georges Laurent, becomes more and more unpleasant a character, more paranoid and increasingly less worthy of our sympathy. Daniel Auteuil, star of so many French films, is extraordinarily versatile; versatile in the sense that he always looks the same in drama, comedy or period piece, yet he is always different. He creates his characters from within. This performance is faultless. He is beautifully supported by Juliet Binoche as his puzzled wife.

While the cumulative effect of the paranoia on Laurent, his wife, son and affluent friends is powerful and thought-provoking – it includes France’s treatment of Algerians in the 1960s – there are some wonderfully staged set scenes: George’s bedside conversation with his mother (Annie Girardot), George’s apartment encounter with Majid and the mother’s questioning of her son. There is also one of the most startling and shocking violent moments which Haneke can create so well that brings home the deadly reality of what we are watching. At the end there is suggestion and speculation rather than clarity and closure – but we need to continue pondering this film long after it ends.

Winner of the Ecumenical award in Cannes 2005, the FIPRESCI award as well as the Festival’s Best Director.

1. Impact of the film, quality drama, cinematic style, political and personal themes?

2. The work of Michael Haneke? Style, content, themes?

3. The Paris setting, the street and the house and our gazing at it for a long time during the video cassettes? The interiors, the television studio, the offices, restaurants? The contrast with Majid’s apartment? Georges’ country house? France and the Austrian perceptions of French themes? The range of the musical score and its moods?

4. The role of the media, media and communication, influence, video, surveillance? Players? The television, interviews – a forum for views? Mobile phones and communication?

5. The opening, audiences watching with the video camera? The long takes? The effect? The later tapes, the house, Georges’ mother’s house, the discussion with Majid? The anonymous sender, the drawings, the phone calls? The going to the police, no effect?

6. Georges Laurent, Daniel Auteuil and his performance? The focus? At home, with Anne, with Pierrot? The friends at home? His career, interviews, the intelligentsia? His relationship with his mother, phone calls, the visit, the long discussion, the memories of the past? Georges as victim, his worries, dreams especially of himself as a child with Majid, the killing of the chicken, Majid’s threatening him? The blood? His suspicions of Majid, not having seen him since he was six? His not trusting Anne and informing her of what happened? His being caught out with the tape of his meeting with Majid?

7. The story of his past, the six-year-old, jealous of his parents, Majid, 1961 and the massacre of Algerians in Paris, Majid’s parents dead? The Welfare coming for him, taking him away, the possibility of his parents adopting Majid and his lying? The killing of the chicken, the blood – and its later appearing in the drawings? His saying Majid was ill and using the blood as a witness to this? The consequences of his action? His ability to forfeit responsibility and forget?

8. Georges and his life, prosperous? Taking his son in the car and explaining the situation to him? He and Anne and their upset when the son was missing, suspicions, immediately blaming Majid, meeting his son, going to the apartment? The irony of the son being at a friend’s? The video of his mother’s house, of the street, his going to Majid’s apartment, talking with him, Majid as gentle – and the audience seeing him in the aftermath and his weeping? The effect of Georges’ watching the tape, growing harder in attitude, not believing? Becoming paranoid? Shouting and threats?

9. Anne and her life, her love for her son, her husband? Watching the videos, concern, the contact with the police and not getting satisfaction? Georges not trusting her, her reaction, with Pierrot, his absence, her trying to talk with him, the nature of the talk, his suspicions, his harsh attitude towards her? The surly approach? Her relationship with friends, their support? The editor and her weeping in the restaurant?

10. Majid, his life, deprivation? Institutions, lack of education? The contrast with his son, gentle of manner? Calling Georges to the apartment – and the dramatic shock of his slitting his throat? His son wanting to see Georges’ reaction, the man responsible for the death of another?

11. Majid’s son, the arrest, in prison? The visit to the office, the tension in the lift? His quiet manner, contrasting himself with his father, wanting to see Georges’ reaction?

12. The effect of these events on Georges, the harshness of his personality emerging, paranoid and intolerant? On Anne, on Pierrot?

13. The portrait of the friends, intelligentsia, affluent, visits to Corsica? Their continued support of Anne?

14. The long take of the ending, the school steps, the irony of seeing the two sons talking together and speculating on what they had planned and executed?

15. Audience reflection of the aftermath, the issues, the role of the past, children and malice, responsibilities, guilt or not, recompense, apologies, the context of Algeria – and the television screen showing contemporary footage of Iraq and Palestine? The personal and social issues in the context of 21st century world issues?