Code – Unbekannt (2000)

Code – Unbekannt: Directed by Michael Haneke. With Juliette Binoche, Thierry Neuvic, Josef Bierbichler, Alexandre Hamidi. A young man harasses a homeless woman, another man protests, the police arrest both and the woman has to leave the country. What were their various story-lines leading up to this event?

“I tracked this one down after being impressed with Hanekeu0026#39;s u0026quot;Funny Games,u0026quot; and while the two films could not be farther apart in intent, both reveal a competent filmmaker of enigmatic yet fascinating films. It seems in the three years between the two films, Haneke has replaced his antagonistic/didactic antics in favor of a more personal, contemplative study of how simple actions in todayu0026#39;s diverse culture can have far-reaching effects. u0026quot;Code Unknownu0026quot; is as involving visually as it is cerebrally. Apart from a few montages (comprised of photos taken by one of the filmu0026#39;s many peripheral characters), almost every scene is composed in one long, carefully orchestrated shot. Without the distractive tendencies of editing, the viewer is promptly absorbed into each vignette, each of which is loosely related to the others by the filmu0026#39;s first scenario. Throughout the film, complex social issues such as xenophobia, vagrancy, and familial strife are explored; however the filmu0026#39;s effectiveness lies in its ability to portray the sense of homelessness often described as an inevitability of todayu0026#39;s consumerist, globalist culture. Which is not to say that the film succeeds indefinitely in its grand scope. At times, the scenes seem either pointless, or pointlessly drawn out. It occasionally seems Haneke is overreaching in breadth: framing the film with deaf children signing seems somewhat pretentious, but can be forgiven when the rest of the filmu0026#39;s minimalist formality is taken into consideration. However, an interesting analysis of the semiotics of u0026quot;Code Unknownu0026quot; could probably be thought out (the two meta-films, the deaf kids, the title), but that would require more than one viewing, and more tenacity than Iu0026#39;m sure most viewers are willing to give. Still, quite a visually stunning and at times intense film, slightly marred only by the same quality that makes it worthwhile: its refusal to adhere to accepted filmic logic.”