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Funny Games (1997) is a masterpiece
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The film is a criticism about pointless violence in film. The constant third wall breaking takes the audience along with the two psychopaths and makes you feel included in the torture of the family.
When the father asked why they were doing it, one of the psychopaths kept switching stories, showing that the plot didn't matter and it was all pointless. As is most violent gore fests that have sequels upon sequels of pointless films.
In the scene where they put a bag over the head of the child the son transfers sofas onto the psychopaths sofa he is now included with the psychopaths (and us audience), and they cover his eyes when asking his mum to strip. It's a play on how family's are fine with children viewing violence in the media but basic nudity is too far and they try to hide it from their children to 'preserve moral decently'
All this done on a low budget. Genius just genius.
Top Comment: And I liked too the shot-for-shot remake with Michael Pitt, Naomi Watts and Tim Roth. Not a popular opinion but they have the same intense soul. Ah yes, Lanthimos in a Killing of a Sacred Deer directed a scene with the same style of Funny Games.
What are some of the best games with comedy? Whether it's intentional or not
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So I finally got around to playing Metal wolf chaos XD. Which given how absurd and hilarious the dialog in this game can be, really got me thinking about this. Like obviously you have games such as the OG rachet and clank series on ps2, journey to the savage planet, Jake and daxter, another crabs treasure has it's moments but nowadays I feel like alot of games are a little to try hard and in your face about it. What are some of your favorites?
Top Comment: The bard's tale (2004) doesn't have the greatest gameplay but it is pretty funny.
Just finished Funny Games (2007) for the first time and I am at a loss of all words.
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EDIT: COMMENTS AND POST BELOW NOW CONTAIN SPOILERS.
You guys. I have never in my life seen a movie that was both simultaneously incredible and also so terrifying and unsettling that I could not WAIT for it to finally be over.
THERE WAS NO MUSIC THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE MOVIE GUYS. Except the metal. There was practically NO violence on screen and yet this was one of the most gruesome movies ever.
The breaking of the 4th wall made me SO uncomfortable.
I could go on a rant about all the things I loved that made this film so incredibly creepy but I seriously don't feel like any words I can come up with could do it justice. That very last frame of the movie. I just...omfg. God help us all.
EDIT: thank you for the awards. Never got those on reddit before so *bows*
I think after ruminating on this movie for the past few days, with the help of your comments and analysis, I've decided I do like the movie, as awful as it made me feel. I have concluded that I like it because the point of the movie is that it is pointless (per the director) and that it's creepy because it doesn't follow a normal story structure. They're doomed from the beginning and the movie takes forever giving you these long, drawn out scenes of "hope" and you think just maybe they'll get away, and they do it until the very end (Naomi tries to get the knife on the boat minutes before they casually just push her off). I think this tactic is what made it so unsettling - giving the audience hope they'll get away and then they just...don't. So bizarre.
Top Comment: This movie messed with my head. Very disturbing
FUNNY GAMES (2007) : Is it Deep or Dumb? Let's settle it.
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So, I found this somewhere. Thought it was interesting to share. There seems to have polarizing opinions on this movie. I am a huge Haneke fan and I don't completely agree with this review.
So the review goes like this:
- Funny games is for all intends and purposes a snuff film. I am not easily offended (for example I love A Clockwork Orange) but this movie is the most vile and offensive piece of trash I've ever watched. I never saw the European original, but have read it is identical to this one.
There is no message, no lesson, nothing of value conveyed to the audience. What's more, through the use of 4th wall, the director directly mocks the audience, telling the viewer that they are going to watch this poor family get tortured, and even when they finally get the upper hand, I'm going to hit the rewind button (literally) and replay the scene so the brutal sadism can continue. At this point you realize that you are just being toyed with, so what's the point of continuing to watch? Any suspense is a 'hoax' and you realize it was all just a bunch of red herrings to keep you focused on the family hopeless demise, including the brutalization of child.
I don't know how anyone can find this "art-house" film entertaining or engaging in anyway. I give it a '1' only out of respect for the quality performance of Naomi Watts and Tim Roth. But whatever possessed them to take on it his putrid film , I have no idea. -
What do you guys think?
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It's not supposed to be entertaining, nor have suspense. In fact it's intentionally boring and tedious.
It's a takedown of home invasion and torture porn films, dissecting them and showing the fakeness of them, how the family has no way of winning because the audience is there to see them die, they get the upper hand? The filmmakers aka the killers rewind it and fix it to be what the audience wants.
That they're boring, and the audience doesn't care about characters or motives, they're there just to see people get hurt.
And it is in no way a snuff film? What?
"Funny Games" is mind-blowing. It might be one of the meanest movies I've ever seen, not only to the characters, but to... the audience
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After watching "Eden Lake", which ultimately is a "home invasion" type of horror/thriller (but without the home itself), I decided to watch other horrors I've always was afraid of (not because of gore, but because of psychological damage). "Funny Games" (US version with Tim Roth, whom I like a lot) was my first choice. And jeez... It was different! Unexpected to the level it didn't feel like a movie anymore, but more like Michael Haneke once opened TV Tropes and decided to adapt it, but subvert all the tropes and viewer's expectations. His "Reality Warper" bastard was the most unnerving, unsettling and weird horror villain I've ever seen (after Art The Clown). Infamous remote control scene is a pure wtf. And the fact that he can "turn on" that avant-garde metal track, that just fries your ears and brain (and I'm a huge rock/meta fan btw) when he wants and there's no other music in the movie is completely f***ed-up.
Looks like Haneke plays his "funny" game not only with poor Farbers, but with you too. He's laughing in your face, trolling you and having great fun with it. It feels like he's asking you: "You want to see aaaaall the bad things happen to this poor family, right?" You're like: "No! I want them to get out alive!" And he's smirking and throwing up his hands: "Well... So why didn't you turn on "13 going on 30" instead, blood-thirsty bitch?" I felt bad and ashamed, like it was ME who is the one to blame.
And I feel conflicted about Farbers' actions. I've never seen (on screen, of course) someone becoming almost immobile because of the one hit on the leg! It's honestly terrifying but realistic af. And Naomi Watts' Ann... You expect her to be a "final girl", save herself, save the day, but... it's just not the case. And with all that "fourth-wall playing" I felt like "Funny Games" lost its sincerity. Not all of it, just a little, but fact is a fact - if the movie was "plain and simple" on the meta level, I would have been invested in this horrid story and all the suffering more. Because performances are amazing - delicate Naomi Watts, utterly devastating Tim Roth and this brave beautiful little boy. You root for them, you want them to get whatever can be a weapon and went "Samara Weaving from Ready Or Not" mode, but it's never happen. Frustrating and sad.
The movie itself looks like a complete masterpiece tho. It's soooo different from what general audience except from horror/shocking invasion film: little blood, no nudity or SA on screen (thank God!), no soundtrack, no jumpscares. It even shot differently - a lot of wide shots (long static shot when George and Ann process, holding each other on the floor, what just happened, is really unnerving and heartbreaking) and that interesting thing when they show us not the one who talks, but others' reaction to their words. My favorite scene like that was when Peter and Paul discussed Ann's body and shape, and George was so scared by even a though they can rape her, his eyes darted from one to another so panicky you felt the stress.
In conclusion: "Funny Games" left very VERY bad taste in my mouth. Even equally disturbing, undeservingly violent for the main characters "Eden Lake" did not feel like this because I didn't consider myself to be a part of the action. Yes, it was painful and I cried out of stress (normal thing for me in horrors), but I did not... participate. "Funny Games" made me to. And I did not enjoy it even one bit.
8.5/10, great one.
Top Comment: Great film that succeeds in making you feel awful about yourself. It really feels like the director wanted you to feel bad about wanting to watch a movie about other people suffering. It’s like he said “you want to see a home invasion? Ok here you go!”.
I just watched ‘Funny Games’ (1997) and I straight up don’t know how to feel right now.
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I should preface this post by saying that I don’t typically enjoy horror films. I did when I was much younger, but that part of me has phased out. I discovered Michael Haneke a few days ago while scrolling on Max. I started with ‘The Piano Teacher.’ That movie isn’t horror but deserves its own breakdown and analysis all the same. After watching that one, I started ‘Funny Games’ today. I don’t even know what to think. I’ve seen a lot of awful horror movies. Slasher films, gore, thrillers, but nothing touched the surface of my emotions like this movie just did to me. My brain is melting and I feel sick. What the fuck.
This movie straight up made me realize that sometimes there is no light at the end of the tunnel or happy ending. The remote control scene filled me with pure rage. The way they just casually killed the boy and the camera took forever to show who died. It really felt like this movie was designed to play with your emotions. There are no jump scares, no sharp scary music in the background. And then when one of the main antagonists keeps breaking the fourth wall. He enjoys the fact that we as the viewers cannot intervene and save these peoples lives. There’s a pain in not being able to deal out your own justice. To not hold the cards in hands. I need to sit on this one for awhile.
Top Comment: It's one of the most gut-wrenching films I've ever seen. You're right- frustration is a primary emotion it evokes. Amazingly, there's almost no onscreen violence in it either.
Thoughts on Funny Games
Main Post: Thoughts on Funny Games
Top Comment: I prefer the 1997 version. One of my favorites but it’s hard for me to suggest to people.
I just watched FUNNY GAMES for the first time, I was not prepared.
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I liked the film very much, in fact I gave the film a 5 on Letterboxd; but the cruelty of the film amazed me. I knew it would be an intense viewing, yet I was not prepared for the level of cruelty towards the family and towards the audience. The constant question that pops up dealing with our enjoyment of the film really got me thinking: “why do we watch this?” Plus the three times when we get a glimmer of hope are horrible, first, when Georg Jr. escapes; that was just wicked, he was the instrument of his own cruel death; then, when we find a quiet moment and Georg Sr. is on the phone and Anna is looking for help is too much, I remember thinking “wait for a second car, the possibility of the two dudes being on a second car is smaller.” Of course, Anna thought the same and we all know how that went. And for the last time when Anna kills “fatty” just to be f—ing rewinded with the TV controller in order to avoid her getting the rifle is just crushing. The film used hope against us. And the ending, Christ, it was just so good.
What do you think about the film? I’m curious about other’s opinions on this.
P.S.: I also believe that the two dudes do not know they are in a film, but they think they are; that helps the point of violence being too normalised and people in real life treating real world violence as “film” or (nowadays) “videogame” violence, which has no consequences.
Top Comment: that scene in the living room where george sr starts breaking down always tears my heart out. susanne lothar is just brilliant too. the acting in this film is superb
Haneke's Funny Games has got to be the most pseudo-intellectual, awful, unwarrantedly stand-offish, failed art-house wannabe genre subversion movie ever
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Just finished watching Funny Games, the original 1997 "european" edition, also my first Haneke movie. I kept hearing about him online, in here and on other platforms, and so I thought I would start with this one, being a fan of the genre and all.
The movie progresses so well. It is my opinion that if you were to cut all the 4th wall breaks out, you would have, relative to the genre, a fantastic home invasion film in terms of execution: the suspense, the tension, the acting, the pacing, the torture all so wonderfully frustrating to watch. Even Haneke's off-screen action and deaths and torture are endearing in a way that still manages to stay true to the genre, and I loved the long static shots that sort-of set you up for the inevitable but unpredictable violence to come.
With that being said, I feel like the decision to so openly and arrogantly mock and deride not only the audience, but the genre as a whole, to denounce the very tropes and themes you've worked so hard to execute well just because "violence in media bad lol", has got to be the most pseudo-intellectual, shallow, immediate, and annoying approach to making a genre movie. I am first and foremost here to entertain myself, to consume and enjoy the movie, and you are, as a director, producer, screenwriter and so on, first and foremost an entertainer, a performer, no different from the likes of circus dancers and stage magicians doing card tricks. That's where it starts and that's where it ends. Films can work towards a deeper, perhaps more intellectual message, but you're not ultimately here to lecture me, or preach to me, or teach me, but to entertain me. If you fail to do that, no matter how profound and impactful your movie's message is, you haven't made a piece of entertainment.
Haneke thinks he's smart for making the most obvious, middle-school grade commentary on violence in media, as if no one ever stopped to think or concern themselves with these thoughts. Paul winks at you, talks to you and rewinds the movie, because, get it? you're somehow a sick psycho for enjoying violence. This is in the same line as people that think video games cause violence; even if Haneke is not saying that, I'm sure he would agree with these people or, if he's not the activist kind, at the very least admonish the fans of said games, music, etc. media for the same reasons he admonished me for (potentially) enjoying (what I thought would be) a good flick.
As stated above, I suppose it's not the meta commentary itself that most annoyed me, but the fact that the movie would have otherwise been such an incredible thriller flick. It's like a kick in the balls for... enjoying a genre of movies, I guess? AITA? /s
I'm curious what people think of this movie in 2023. I read a lot of reviews, opinions etc. but I'm curious especially about people that are not particularly fans of Haneke's, or that haven't watched his other films, or generally younger people that have grown up with a more varied repertoire of movies to watch, especially fans of thrillers or even more specifically home invasion movies.
Top Comment: you're not ultimately here to lecture me, or preach to me, or teach me, but to entertain me While you're more than free to dislike this film (or any film), that's not how art works.
Funny Games : r/TheBigPicture
Main Post: Funny Games : r/TheBigPicture