The White Ribbon: The Beginning

 By Hayley Turner           

             In my Pleasure and Desire class we began watching The White Ribbon. The White Ribbon (2009) is an independent black and white German film that depicts life in a protestant town just before WWI. The story is told as memories from the town’s schoolteacher. While we only watched an hour of the movie in class to date, it is understood from the beginning of the movie that the event that take place in this town during this time are surprises and unexpected. The events that have taken place include the doctor being seriously hurt after being thrown from his horse by a wire placed between two trees, the farmer’s wife falling through rotten floor boards and dying and the baron’s son going missing and then being found beaten. The town is at unease after each of the event but only one appears to be an accident (the death of the farmer’s wife). As the movie progresses I assume we will learn about who has caused these acts of violence in the town and how each event and character is connected.

            I am interested in learning more about the events and characters. I am also interested in learning more about the symbolism of the white ribbon.  From the dialog between the pastor and his children I do know that the white ribbon is a symbol of purity and innocents. The children are required to wear a white ribbon after they are believed to be misbehaving. The pastor tells them that they will wear the ribbon until they are returned to the purity and innocence of there younger childhood. The pastor believes that there recent act of disobedience shows that they have lost the innocents of youth.