“A brilliant film as creative as it is unrelenting. The subject matter – examining a culture of disturbed and abused children who 20 years later will be the ones who give rise to Nazi Germany - is a formidable task. No color, no music, a joyless life that insures these will be the children of the damned.”

“I liked the sweep of the film and the story.  Cinematography was very well done.”

“The serene bucolic surface of village life with the destructive emotions boiling beneath…Beautifully shot, particularly the night scenes (interior and exterior).  Beautifully written, multiple strands of narrative, many of which hang loose at the end (as in life) and emphasizing the many interpretations of any one story.”

“A failed Bergman imitation that just didn’t make it.  Boring and 45 minutes too long.  Lost the thread because many of the subtitles, especially the ones that were on a light background could not be read.”

“Ah the provincial life.”

A crucified bird is the perfect visual for the crimes – revenge tactics really - committed by the children against their repressive and in the case of the doctor – perverse treatment of the children.”

“What’s the role of the film in culture?  Aside from mere entertainment, there’s a role to engage the viewer and trigger cognitive and emotional response.  This film does it for me and I’m thrilled that the mystery was left open.”

“The subject was compelling, just too long, too dark and too repetitious.  Ultimately who cares?  Maybe it’s a statement about German character and/or religion and maybe life in the country?  The characters were very one-dimensional! 

“Dark and dismal, everyone around me was sleeping.”

“Believe it or not it’s been done before and better.”

“Interesting film, but I needed a lot of answers.”

“Maybe one of the worst films I’ve seen here.  This film is ultimately unfair to Germans and Austrians.  But above all I didn’t care where it was going.  It was so dark, heavy and dull.”

“Dark in both the way it was filmed and the subject, this was ultimately unsatisfying and frustrating and smothering.  The children were all ‘the bad seed’ kids.  The incest and coldness was all pervasive and left me cold, as well.  On a technical level, the subtitles were sometimes impossible to read.  I found myself straining to read and watch the movie at the same time and failed at both.”

“Very perceptive and disturbing, reminding me of Igmar Bergman’s earlier films.”

“Unrelentingly dreary, but ultimately equally as profound considering what happened to Germany in the three decades to follow. In a way our entire world was shaped by this culture, and it resonates today in repressive Muslim cultures in Iran and Afghanistan.”

“The final scene in the church, in some way they are all wearing white ribbons, such the ministers tie, and as such they are all guilty of sins.”

“Grim!”

“Unsettling, but realistic.”

“Will not do well.”

“A fascinating and deeply moving film leaving us with an unsolved mystery.”

“I make this comment before the discussion (as I have no hope the discussion will shred any helpful light).  What the hell was this?  Who is the potential audience?  I thought Bergman was dead, but I see his ghost carries on.  This was a monumental waste of time, no matter how ambitious it may have been.  John, please do a better job of selecting (as you actually usually do) as this was 2 hours (that truly felt like 4) of torture.  I kept my seat after the first 3 1/2, I’m sorry after the first 1 3/4 hours only because I had to see how this quagmire was going to be resolved.  Then to find no resolution as a pay off for sustaining a sore butt and full bladder was just not fair.”

“What an environment, ripe for creating the ‘children’ of the damned.  The bird displayed in the form of a cross was a symbolism for no escape here.  Loved the dark interiors, literally and figuratively.  Eva’s father and the Baroness were the only ones who lived in a world that they could see.”

“The countryside then and probably now harbors much evil.  Did, however, feel quite Germanic.  Great photography, felt like an art film.”

“There is certainly a lot to think about and discuss.  Cruelty begets cruelty.  Identification with the aggressor, the powerless want to gain power.  The only innocent sweet child is the son who brings the rescued bird to comfort his father.  There were also themes of sadism/masochism.”

“Found it quite confusing.”

“Extremely disturbing.”

“Relentless, I think that this movie needed Sandra Bullock.  No, really it seemed that the villagers stopped caring about who committed the crimes.  I know that I did.”

“Beware of the Palm D’or winners!  No blue ribbon for THE WHITE RIBBON.”

“The style and the ideas behind this piece were very good.  The black and white choice was exceptional.  I wish the ending could have tied up things a little more.  Overall, a pretty good pic.  Could the white ribbon be a symbol of the Nazi armbands worn under Hitler’s regime?”

“There were so many worthwhile plots, each one that could have been an engaging movie on its own.  I would have preferred more closure on some of the issues rather than closing with as much open endings.”

“If I had paid $12 for a ticket and a babysitter to see this film, I would be irate.  Where’s the movie’s ending?  Dark, depressing and unpleasant.”