The White Ribbon: The Beginning

This is Sophie

So far I think one of the most striking aspects of The White Ribbon http://www.sonyclassics.com/thewhiteribbon/ is the fact that it is in black and white.  This was obviously for artistic expression and it emphasizes the mood of the entire film (or how I think it will continue).  The mood from the beginning is bleak, the characters unforgiving.
This bleakness is portrayed during the scene pictured above in which the father sends the children to bed without food and prepares them for the beating they will each receive the following day.  Similarly, the way in which the children kiss the hands of their parents as their parents stand coldly without emotion emphasizes that love and affection are not a part of family life as is the case in our society.  This is clearly a society in which any form of pleasure is shunned and even punishable.  I think there is no better way, therefore, to portray the mood than to refrain from using any colors that may bring life to the film.