Euro Perceptions v Real Americans
I missed the beginning, so perhaps my intense exasperation is unjustified. But do tell: was the son mentally challenged? I tuned in just prior to his escape, and watched in disbelief as he made the most unhurried descent down the trellis, could not manage to navigate the gate, then makes the most bizarre choice to run into a neighbor's house after being spotted by the bad guy. Why!? He could have easily hid out in the woods with far better odds than going into the house. What kid wouldn't run like heck out of terror? And kids are well-versed in hiding -- after years of practice. So ok, he goes into a house, having been clearly spotted by the be-gloved dandy and wanders about, almost leisurely -- not searching for a phone?
Anyway, after compelling myself to watch the conclusion of this sadistic and unnerving experience, I felt rage and regret for having participated in this cruel social experiment. Which, turns out, was the point -- to ridicule my rubber-necking tendencies and betray my patently American expectation of a "Happy Ending." So this director is teaching us blood-lusty, gun-toting, rubish Yankees a lesson by cheating us out of a morally acceptable resolution?
$crew you Haneke. I'd ask who the heck do you think you are, but I know your ilk -- I lived in Germany. I know all too well the default arrogance y'all have towards Americans, our brutish lust for violence, and our seemingly counter-intuitive appetite for firearms. The thing Europeans overlook is that this perception is resoundingly eclipsed by the reality that we are a warm, empathetic, charitable lot, and have more heart and genuine good intentions in our interactions with our fellow man than the artsy-fartsy Euro-snobs would ever even deign to imitate. This, in spite of a gluttonous diet of violent movies/games and, well, admittedly, real-life and gun violence.
Most offensive, to me at least, was the obscene (and wholly unbelievably) depiction of an American family lacking even a speck of intestinal fortitude, resulting in an skewed experiment since the besieged characters in this film behaved how, ahem, effete Euros would -- most assuredly not Americans. (Exhibit A & true story: In 2015 an armed terrorist was taken down on a train in France by 3 young American men -- without hesitation or regard for their own safety -- saving dozens of lives, while the far nearer Euros impotently stood by and watched... USA! USA!)
No American family would have behaved so cowed and defeated -- that's why this social experiment was a complete an utter failure as the premise is out of the realm of possibility. Sure, we'll tag along with the far-fetched idea of two psychotic preppie-punks taking a family hostage, but that said family would just sit, weep & wallow for 12 hours pushes it into the realm of unfathomable. Sure, if the protagonists were Europeans vacationing in the US, that could work. By skimming the biggest complaints on this board, Americans don't buy the exaggeratedly wussy inaction of the family. No way, Jose'.
If you're gonna take on 'Merikans (and we give y'all plenty of actual material to work with), keep it within believable parameters. Until then, $uck it Haneke. And try to stay close to Americans next time you take the rail. Even our retirees would kick more butt than the uber-unbelievable cartoons portrayed here, albeit in tacky but comfy attire.