Review of Caché (2005) by Dziugas M — 26 Apr 2009

'Cache' is a film about fear, paranoia and guilt, although cynicists will be quick to label it a weak hybrid of arthouse and thriller. Director Michael Haneke is devoted to attention to detail and crisp storytelling, yet never robs his picture of ambiguity. The film triggers ideas not only about what it means to be human, but what it means to be inhuman.

The film's French title weakly translates as 'Hidden', but the name is nevertheless apt, revealing more about Haneke's obsession with technique and how his style reflects the film's buried themes. 'Cache' opens with a still, single shot at a measured distance from a house which we know nothing about; yet after only a couple of minutes we are aware we are not the only ones watching this location. The camera is being used to observe by an off-screen character. But it remains hidden from public view.

And so the technique continues and plot points begin to unravel. Daniel Auteueil and Juliette Binoche are Georges and Anne Laurent, the bourgeois couple who live behind those walls. They receive tapes from an anonymous sender, and with a chilling realisation we become part of the recording process, part of what is hidden.

But as the fear and uncertainty begins to consume Anne and Georges we realise 'Cache' will not be about uncovering the identity of the sender, although Georges has a vague idea who might be behind them. Haneke is much more interested in how this harassment affects the human psyche; we observe the strain of the pair's relationship, and when their son fails to come home one night, the torture they suffer for a moment of reckless ignorance.

And gradually we become less interested in plot, but more intrigued by character. Georges past comes back to haunt him in mysterious ways, and Haneke raises all sorts of ethical dilemmas about atonement and repression. His preoccupation with the basic elements of film and media is more than apparent. Haneke envisions guilt as a lonely man, fearfully crouched in the corner of his mind and soul, consumed by darkness. His shocking, provocative but gently handled film suggests there is always more than meets the eye; what is hidden will inevitaby come to light.