I had no problem believing this original version of Funny Games won awards. When the film was screened at Cannes in 97' it shocked the audience badly enough that many viewers, including some film critics, walked out of the screening. Sometimes its not about actually seeing gratuitous violence and blood and gore right before you eyes, if you can get an audience to react badly enough without seeing anything and provoking their mind that in itself is a seriously high accolade to the director. Take the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre for instance. So, to the story...Georg, Anna & their son George set off for a short family break together and travel to their lakeside summer home. Upon arrival, Georg and Georgie head off to the lake for sailing while Anna prepares dinner in the kitchen. Unfortunately for them their vacation spot happens to be the next stop for a pair of young, articulate, white-gloved serial killers on an excursion through the neighborhood. The opening first few minutes sees the family driving to their holiday home laughing and joking, peaceful classical music playing in the background and the scene is set at a very calm and relaxed manner....the same way as any family movie would start, totally out of the blue the classical music stops & you are greeted with a hard cutting black metal music track but the visual scene on screen remains the same, a shocking and hard hitting contrast. On the surface of this movie, the plot about two psychopaths terrorising a family doesn't seem to be particularly interesting, or original. But couldnt be further from the truth.

The fact that the entire story takes place in pretty much one place would suggest it might struggle to capture the viewer's attention, certainly for its duration. However, the simple combination of the performances, the script and the huge amount of tension at times make this story work outstandingly well, the fact that its isolated simply adds to the overall claustrophobia.

The script is simply incredible; the overtone of terror slowly creeps up on the viewer, and on Anna and Georg, with more than a dose of psychological manipulation. One of the psychopaths steps out of character and addresses the camera and joins the viewer on occasion. Absolute brilliance.

The performances all round are simply outstanding. Each actor plays their part to perfection, and hats off to all - the victims were especially convincingly terrified, and the perpetrators frighteningly cool. Director Michael Haneke said that star Susanne Lothar would often have to force herself to cry for nearly 20 minutes before her takes. He said that in one scene she required 28 takes and she was tremendously drained by the ordeal. It was the weakened drained reaction that Haneke wanted from her for the scene.

The movie is about media-violence, why it exists and why we should think deeper about it. The two sociopaths in this movie are representing the viewer, as are the victims. "Why are you doing this to yourselves?", the torturers constantly ask. Why are they entertaining themselves by killing and torturing people? Why we are watching it, is the real question.

This doesn't just go for this movie, as a matter of fact it goes for almost everything, the movie shows that you can find vicious violence everywhere, and people constantly watch it, maybe not even noticing it. Not only does the movie show the sickness and perversity of this, but also it has the impact on the viewer that violence should have. Now this is also coming from me, a guy who has seen a stack of horror and voilent movies himself and likes to watch them...why? The director has achieved something brilliant here.

It's masterfully directed throughout, the actors are good, I think most would be sobbing and blubbering if they were in the same situation as the family here. As for the torturers, they're cold as ice, representing the modern TV-consumer, numbed by the senseless amount of violence they are presented with.

Some claim that the scenario is implausible, its simply irrelevant, this movie works mainly on a deeper level, everything is just symbolic, and the plot isn't the essence here, it's the message. As for the unrealistically feelingless sociopaths, I don't think anyone watches James Bond or Lethal Weapon with a pack of handkerchiefs because so many people get killed. No, we sit and enjoy it just like the sociopaths in the movie. That realisation is the most scary thing in the movie. I don't understand how people can say this movie is sick, it's actually very humanistic, it's just a bit more difficult than your standard GOOD vs. EVIL-crap.

I also found some negative comments over the years that have been going around about this film fascinating -- "not violent enough!" "the victims deserve to die..." "all the violence is off-screen..." "no gore at all, 'Last House On The Left' did it first, with more blood...." etc. I especially love the one comment i saw, -- Haneke's film has "no point," and goes on to say "...I just hope those people break into MY house, so I can break their f*ckin necks!"

Looks like the director Michael Haneke made his point...dont you?

Haneke, the director, delivered a masterpiece with this. It's not conventional, doesn't end traditionally, and makes superb use of direction to construct an honestly masterful affair and above all, the message he is trying to get across is right in there...if you look deep enough. 9.7/10