Funny Games (1997/2007)

Funny Games (1997) is from Austria. In German, subtitled in English. Funny Games (2007) is in English. It is also known as Funny Games U.S.

Michael Haneke made Funny Games before Jigsaw started playing games in Saw. He also remade Funny Games after Jigsaw started playing games. Haneke's comment on media violence is shocking and still very relevant. This review is for both films.

The 2007 version follows the same plot as the previous version. The two are completely identical so much that I'm not even sure what Haneke's point was in remaking it. Anyway, a happy couple (Naomi Watts and Tim Roth in 2007) and their child take a trip down to their vacation home. It's not too long before two psychotic killers (Michael Pitt and Brady Corbet in 2007) show up at their doorstep in preppy sports attire. They seem nice at first, but then they break the husband's leg and begin a hostage situation.


The only difference between the two is the obvious better acting performances in the new version. I don't know. Maybe if I lived in Austria and grew up with those actors, I could have changed my mind. To me, Naomi Watts and Tim Roth give believable and upsetting performances. As far as I'm concerned, Michael Pitt might as well be psychotic.

Michael Haneke employs some pretty revolutionary camera techniques. In both version, around one hour in, there's a ten minute long shot. Haneke may not have been the first to do a really long shot, but it's pretty impressive. Also, he breaks the fourth wall and has one of the characters literally rewind the film. Where else have you seen anything like this?

As usual, Haneke makes violence the point of his movie. Just like in Cache, the violence is supposed to shock audiences and make them squirm even if most of it is off screen. Funny Games isn't funny at all. It's a shocking and suspensful cinematic masterpiece that will surely thrill audiences for years to come.