Review of Caché (2005) by Tad T — 15 Apr 2008

Possibly Haneke's masterpiece. Drawing on previous examinations of multicultural yet divided French society, Haneke here focuses on the battle with guilt over the past. Auteil and Binoche play a couple whose upper middle class existence is shattered by the arrival of mysterious videotapes of their house.

This awakens Auteil's memories and guilt over a sin he committed as a child. The tension, at times almost unbearable, arises from Auteil allowing shame to overwhelm any attempt to repent for his crime.

As one little lie piles on top of another the film accelerates to a disturbing conclusion, whose pessimism about the ability of one man to atone for his misdeeds is balanced by hope for the future. Set against the backdrop of France's refusal to deal with its crimes against its Algerian immigrant population, Haneke's film manages to be political polemic and psychoanalytic character study all at once.