Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com
Long shots of rolling green hills.
Serene, classical melodies.
A happy family anticipating their time on a vacation.
These images are what open Michael Haneke’s 1997 film, Funny Games. Upon the opening of the film, it appears as though the film will depict a peaceful family vacation. This perception is eradicated with the abrupt appearance of the Funny Games title card. Heavy metal rock music cuts in as the bright red title card overlays the family road trip. At this point, a sense of uneasiness engulfs the audience. The tranquility that was present in the opening has abruptly changed. Now the audience no longer knows what to expect. All we know is that there is a foreboding sense that something is about to happen to this family, but we do not know what.
Upon arriving at the vacation home, the family’s dog, Rolfi, begins to act unusual. He barks at random objects and moves about skittishly; of course, the family does not think anything of the dog’s actions. The dog’s behavior serves as one of the multiple subtleties that suggests the inevitably of something significant that is bound to happen; however, the audience is not given time to dwell on this because we begin to see the conventionalism of the family.
Father and son work on a boat outside.
The mother prepares some food in the house.
All seems well and normal.
With these images, we are presented with a depiction of an ordinary family spending quality time together. Once again, we return to the tranquility that was present in the opening of the film. With this, the audience relaxes as the sense of dark ambience fades. Soon enough though, the family’s activities are interrupted with the appearance of a rather awkward looking young man asking to borrow some eggs. It is a simple request though the audience feels a tad suspicious. This suspicion grows when the young man drops the eggs and returns to ask for more. The audience’s suspicion is mirrored by the uneasiness of the wife onscreen. She is clearly uncomfortable with the intrusiveness of the man as well as his clumsiness, which is once again noted when he tips her phone into the sink. To the wife, it appears to be a mere accident out of his own stupidity, though the audience may see something much bleaker in that incident. We are ultimately aware of something that the innocent family is not aware of since we are on the outside looking in.
Within moments, a second man appears at the house. He is calm, collected, but also intrusive. The two men are revealed to be Peter and Paul, men with an ambiguous agenda. Despite the awkwardness and tension that can be noted in their interaction with the family, nothing dangerous appears to be evident. That is until Paul abruptly strikes the father’s knee with a golf club. It is in that moment that the audience is finally aware of the entrapment of the family. This home invasion now signifies the violation of the family’s security.
They are no longer safe.
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End Part I.