Group 1

An integral part of Michael Haneke’s cinema is an investigation of the relationship between a film, its audience, and the responsibility of the filmmaker. He has repeatedly stated that he sees it as the filmmaker’s responsibility to confront the audience with the reality of the situations that a film depicts, taking audience seriously in this confrontation. This point can arguably be experienced most for the viewer in Haneke’s unconventional treatment of on-screen violence, which is an integral element of each of his films. This audiovisual essay will illustrate Haneke’s point and show that his movie Funny Games (1997) is an appeal to his audience as consumers of violence and his most elaborate demonstration of the responsibility that a filmmaker has when depicting violence on screen.

Group members: Dorotka Bachratá, Kevin Bornath, Jonas Noack