Caché (film)
Encyclopedia
Caché is a 2005 Austrian-French film written and directed by Michael Haneke
. It stars Daniel Auteuil
as Georges and Juliette Binoche
as his wife Anne.
) is the successful host of a French literary TV programme, living with his wife Anne (Juliette Binoche
), a book publisher, and their school-age son Pierrot (Lester Makedonsky). Unmarked videocassettes arrive on their doorstep, tapes that show extended observation of their home's exterior from a static street camera that is never noticed. At first passive and harmless, but later accompanied by crude, disturbing crayon drawings, the tapes lead to questions about Georges' early life that disrupt both his work and marriage. But because the tapes do not contain an open threat, the police refuse to help the family.
One videotape leads Georges to the modest HLM
apartment of Majid (Maurice Bénichou
), an Algerian man whose parents worked for Georges' family before they were killed in the Paris massacre of 1961
. The orphaned Majid remained in the Laurent home, and the parents at one time intended to adopt him. Georges confronts Majid about the tapes, but he denies involvement. However, the encounter intensifies his guilty flashbacks and recurring nightmares of a young Majid spitting blood, cutting off a rooster's head, and menacing him.
One day Pierrot does not come home from school and Anne cannot locate him. Georges and Anne suspect that Majid has kidnapped him. They go to the police, who accompany Georges to Majid's apartment. There they find Majid's son (Walid Afkir), and father and son both deny knowledge of the kidnapping. The police arrest them but they are released the next morning. On the same morning, Pierrot returns. He had spent the night at a friend's house without telling anyone. When Anne scolds Pierrot, he accuses her of committing adultery. In an earlier scene, we saw a distressed Anne permitting a few romantic caresses from Pierre, a family friend.
Georges returns to Majid's apartment at his invitation, and, after stating that he had nothing to do with the surveillance, Majid says he wanted Georges to be present for what follows: he kills himself by slashing his own throat. Now Anne insists Georges explain the whole story with Majid, and he tells her of the time they spent living in the same household so many years ago. He was six years old when he tricked Majid into cutting off the head of a rooster, then told his parents that Majid did this to scare him. This sufficiently disturbed his parents that they sent Majid to an orphanage.
Majid's son confronts Georges next. He denies involvement with the tapes, while Georges denies responsibility for his father's unhappiness and death. Majid's son says he only wanted to know how Georges felt about being the cause of his father's death, and Georges angrily leaves. Georges goes home, takes two sleeping pills, and goes to bed.
A man and woman arrive at Georges' childhood home in a 1960s-model car. They enter the house, returning momentarily with an Arab boy who protests, resists getting in the car, and runs away before he's finally caught and overcome by the man. He's forced into the back seat with the woman and the man drives the car away.
Under the credits, Pierrot and Majid's son meet in front of Pierrot's school, though their conversation cannot be heard. Majid's son leaves, as does Pierrot with a couple of his friends soon after.
cameras. It has no film score
.
. The film won numerous awards during its successful run at the festival, including the prize for Best Director
, and the FIPRESCI
prize. Caché also won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
. The film won several awards at the 2005 European Film Awards, including Best European Film, Best European Director, Best European Actor (Daniel Auteuil), and Best European Editor.
Deborah Young from Variety
stated, "The tight pacing of Michael Hudecek and Nadine Muse's editing keeps the story fluid and focused but very concise, commanding audience attention from start to finish." Kirk Honeycutt at the The Hollywood Reporter
stated, "In unraveling a nearly forgotten secret in the life of a self-satisfied and smug French intellectual, Haneke probes deeply into issues involving guilt, communication and willful amnesia." Roger Ebert
from Chicago Sun-Times
wrote, "...a perplexing and disturbing film of great effect, showing how comfortable lives are disrupted by the simple fact that someone is watching." Ebert later revisited the film as an entry in his "Great Movies" series, discussing nuances of the plot and direction (and the implications they might have) in more detail. The Guardian
s Peter Bradshaw
gave the film five out of five stars, describing it as "one of the great films of this decade" and "Haneke's masterpiece".
Andrew Sarris
from The New York Observer stated, "Too much of the plot's machinery turns out to be a metaphorical mechanism by which to pin the tail of colonial guilt on Georges and the rest of us smug bourgeois donkeys." Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle
found the film fraudulent "in its style, technique and ultimate message," and that the director does "everything he can to bore the audience, and the audience tries not to fall asleep or flee the theater," making the film an "exercise in pain".
Hidden was listed 1st in The Times
'best 100 films of the decade' feature, 44th in The Daily Telegraph
's equivalent list, and 36th in The Guardian
s.
The film was ranked #73 in Empire
magazine's "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010.
Michael Haneke
Michael Haneke is a German born Austrian filmmaker and writer best known for his bleak and disturbing style. His films often document problems and failures in modern society. Haneke has worked in television‚ theatre and cinema. He is also known for raising social issues in his work...
. It stars Daniel Auteuil
Daniel Auteuil
Daniel Auteuil is a French film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Algiers, French Algeria.-Career:...
as Georges and Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche is a French actress, artist and dancer. She has appeared in more than 40 feature films, been recipient of numerous international accolades, is a published author and has appeared on stage across the world. Coming from an artistic background, she began taking acting lessons during...
as his wife Anne.
Plot
The quiet life of a Paris family is disturbed when they receive a series of surveillance tapes of their own residence from an anonymous source. Georges Laurent (Daniel AuteuilDaniel Auteuil
Daniel Auteuil is a French film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Algiers, French Algeria.-Career:...
) is the successful host of a French literary TV programme, living with his wife Anne (Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche
Juliette Binoche is a French actress, artist and dancer. She has appeared in more than 40 feature films, been recipient of numerous international accolades, is a published author and has appeared on stage across the world. Coming from an artistic background, she began taking acting lessons during...
), a book publisher, and their school-age son Pierrot (Lester Makedonsky). Unmarked videocassettes arrive on their doorstep, tapes that show extended observation of their home's exterior from a static street camera that is never noticed. At first passive and harmless, but later accompanied by crude, disturbing crayon drawings, the tapes lead to questions about Georges' early life that disrupt both his work and marriage. But because the tapes do not contain an open threat, the police refuse to help the family.
One videotape leads Georges to the modest HLM
HLM
HLM , French for "housing at moderated rents" or "rent-controlled housing", is a form of subsidised housing in France. There are approximately four million such residences, housing an estimated 12 million people — nearly one-fifth of the population of France...
apartment of Majid (Maurice Bénichou
Maurice Bénichou
Maurice Bénichou is a French actor. His best known roles include three collaborations with director Michael Haneke , and a part in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amélie...
), an Algerian man whose parents worked for Georges' family before they were killed in the Paris massacre of 1961
Paris massacre of 1961
The Paris massacre of 1961 was a massacre in Paris on 17 October 1961, during the Algerian War . Under orders from the head of the Parisian police, Maurice Papon, the French police attacked a demonstration of some 30,000 pro-FLN Algerians...
. The orphaned Majid remained in the Laurent home, and the parents at one time intended to adopt him. Georges confronts Majid about the tapes, but he denies involvement. However, the encounter intensifies his guilty flashbacks and recurring nightmares of a young Majid spitting blood, cutting off a rooster's head, and menacing him.
One day Pierrot does not come home from school and Anne cannot locate him. Georges and Anne suspect that Majid has kidnapped him. They go to the police, who accompany Georges to Majid's apartment. There they find Majid's son (Walid Afkir), and father and son both deny knowledge of the kidnapping. The police arrest them but they are released the next morning. On the same morning, Pierrot returns. He had spent the night at a friend's house without telling anyone. When Anne scolds Pierrot, he accuses her of committing adultery. In an earlier scene, we saw a distressed Anne permitting a few romantic caresses from Pierre, a family friend.
Georges returns to Majid's apartment at his invitation, and, after stating that he had nothing to do with the surveillance, Majid says he wanted Georges to be present for what follows: he kills himself by slashing his own throat. Now Anne insists Georges explain the whole story with Majid, and he tells her of the time they spent living in the same household so many years ago. He was six years old when he tricked Majid into cutting off the head of a rooster, then told his parents that Majid did this to scare him. This sufficiently disturbed his parents that they sent Majid to an orphanage.
Majid's son confronts Georges next. He denies involvement with the tapes, while Georges denies responsibility for his father's unhappiness and death. Majid's son says he only wanted to know how Georges felt about being the cause of his father's death, and Georges angrily leaves. Georges goes home, takes two sleeping pills, and goes to bed.
A man and woman arrive at Georges' childhood home in a 1960s-model car. They enter the house, returning momentarily with an Arab boy who protests, resists getting in the car, and runs away before he's finally caught and overcome by the man. He's forced into the back seat with the woman and the man drives the car away.
Under the credits, Pierrot and Majid's son meet in front of Pierrot's school, though their conversation cannot be heard. Majid's son leaves, as does Pierrot with a couple of his friends soon after.
Cast
- Daniel AuteuilDaniel AuteuilDaniel Auteuil is a French film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Algiers, French Algeria.-Career:...
as Georges Laurent - Juliette BinocheJuliette BinocheJuliette Binoche is a French actress, artist and dancer. She has appeared in more than 40 feature films, been recipient of numerous international accolades, is a published author and has appeared on stage across the world. Coming from an artistic background, she began taking acting lessons during...
as Anne Laurent - Lester Makedonsky as Pierrot Laurent, Georges and Anne's 12 year old son
- Maurice BénichouMaurice BénichouMaurice Bénichou is a French actor. His best known roles include three collaborations with director Michael Haneke , and a part in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amélie...
as Majid - Walid Afkir as Majid's son
- Annie GirardotAnnie GirardotAnnie Girardot was a French actress.She began performing in 1955, making her film debut in Treize à table. Girardot won the Prix Suzanne Bianchetti in 1956, and in 1977 won the César Award for Best Actress portraying the title character in Docteur Françoise Gailland...
as Georges' mother - Daniel Duval as Pierre, a friend of Georges and Anne's
- Bernard Le Coq as Georges' boss
Production
Filming took place in Paris and Vienna. It is the first film in which Haneke used high-definition videoHigh-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
cameras. It has no film score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
.
Reception
Caché premiered at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival2005 Cannes Film Festival
The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21...
. The film won numerous awards during its successful run at the festival, including the prize for Best Director
Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Director Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946....
, and the FIPRESCI
FIPRESCI
The International Federation of Film Critics is an association of national organizations of professional film critics and film journalists from around the world for "the promotion and development of film culture and for the safeguarding of professional interests." It was founded in June 1930 in...
prize. Caché also won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
The Prize of the Ecumenical Jury is an independent film award for feature films at the Cannes Film Festival since 1974. The Ecumenical Jury is one of three juries at the Cannes Film Festival, along with the official jury and the FIPRESCI jury. The award was created by Christian film makers, film...
. The film won several awards at the 2005 European Film Awards, including Best European Film, Best European Director, Best European Actor (Daniel Auteuil), and Best European Editor.
Deborah Young from Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
stated, "The tight pacing of Michael Hudecek and Nadine Muse's editing keeps the story fluid and focused but very concise, commanding audience attention from start to finish." Kirk Honeycutt at the The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
stated, "In unraveling a nearly forgotten secret in the life of a self-satisfied and smug French intellectual, Haneke probes deeply into issues involving guilt, communication and willful amnesia." Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
from Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
wrote, "...a perplexing and disturbing film of great effect, showing how comfortable lives are disrupted by the simple fact that someone is watching." Ebert later revisited the film as an entry in his "Great Movies" series, discussing nuances of the plot and direction (and the implications they might have) in more detail. The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw is a British writer and film critic. He was educated at Cambridge University, where he was President of Footlights.Bradshaw is a film critic for The Guardian...
gave the film five out of five stars, describing it as "one of the great films of this decade" and "Haneke's masterpiece".
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris is an American film critic and a leading proponent of the auteur theory of criticism.-Career:Sarris is generally credited with popularizing the auteur theory in the U.S...
from The New York Observer stated, "Too much of the plot's machinery turns out to be a metaphorical mechanism by which to pin the tail of colonial guilt on Georges and the rest of us smug bourgeois donkeys." Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
found the film fraudulent "in its style, technique and ultimate message," and that the director does "everything he can to bore the audience, and the audience tries not to fall asleep or flee the theater," making the film an "exercise in pain".
Hidden was listed 1st in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
'best 100 films of the decade' feature, 44th in The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
's equivalent list, and 36th in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
s.
The film was ranked #73 in Empire
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
magazine's "The 100 Best Films Of World Cinema" in 2010.
Awards and nominations
| Festival | Category | Winner/Nominee | Won |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Broadcast Film Critics Association The Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada , representing approximately 250 television, radio and online critics.... (USA) |
Best Foreign Language Film | Michael Haneke Michael Haneke Michael Haneke is a German born Austrian filmmaker and writer best known for his bleak and disturbing style. His films often document problems and failures in modern society. Haneke has worked in television‚ theatre and cinema. He is also known for raising social issues in his work... |
No |
| Cannes Film Festival 2005 Cannes Film Festival The 2005 Cannes Film Festival started on May 11 and ran until May 22. Twenty movies from 13 countries were selected to compete. The awards were announced on May 21... (France) |
Best Director | Michael Haneke | Yes |
| FIPRESCI Prize | Michael Haneke | Yes | |
| Prize of the Ecumenical Jury | Michael Haneke | Yes | |
| Golden Palm Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du... |
Michael Haneke | No | |
| César Awards (France) | Best Actor – Supporting Role | Maurice Bénichou | No |
| Best Director César Award for Best Director This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Director .-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... |
Michael Haneke | No | |
| Best Writing – Original César Award for Best Writing This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Best Writing .-1975–1979:*1975: Bertrand Tavernier, Jean Aurenche: Que la fête commence... |
Michael Haneke | No | |
| Most Promising Actor César Award for Most Promising Actor This is the list of winners and nominees of the César Award for Most Promising Actor .-1980s:-1990s:*1991: Gérald Thomassin: Le petit criminel*1992: Manuel Blanc: J'embrasse pas... |
Walid Afkir | No | |
| Chicago Film Critics Chicago Film Critics Association The Chicago Film Critics Association is an American film critic association.-Members:Current members include:*Sarah Knight Adamson*Zbigniew Banas*Shelley Cameron*Dave Canfield*Vittorio Carli*Erik Childress*Camerin Courtney*Bonnie DeShong... (USA) |
Best Foreign Language Film | Michael Haneke | Yes |
| Chlotrudis Awards (USA) | Best Movie Chlotrudis Award for Best Film The Chlotrudis Award for Best Film is an award given by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film to the film that is voted as the best by participating members. The Chlotrudis Awards is an annual ceremony where the best of the previous year's independent and international film are... |
Michael Haneke | Yes |
| Best Director Chlotrudis Award for Best Director The Chlotrudis Award for Best Director is an award given by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film to the director or directors whose winning work is voted by participating members. The Chlotrudis Awards is an annual ceremony where the best of the previous year's independent and international... |
Michael Haneke | Yes | |
| Best Actor Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor The Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film to the actor or actors whose winning performance is voted by participating members. The Chlotrudis Awards is an annual ceremony where the best of the previous year's independent and international... |
Daniel Auteuil | No | |
| Best Original Screenplay Chlotrudis Award for Best Original Screenplay The Chlotrudis Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is an award given by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film to the writer or writers of the winning screenplay that is voted by participating members... |
Michael Haneke | No | |
| David di Donatello Awards (Italy) | Best European Film | Michael Haneke | No |
| Empire Awards Empire Awards An Empire Award is an accolade bestowed by Empire, Britain's biggest selling film magazine, to recognize excellence of professionals in the locale and global film industry. The awards are voted for by readers of the magazine and in an annual ceremony, the Empire Awards, the winners are presented... (UK) |
Best Thriller | Michael Haneke | No |
| European Film Awards | Best Actor | Daniel Auteuil | Yes |
| Best Director | Michael Haneke | Yes | |
| Best Editor | Michael Hudecek and Nadine Muse | Yes | |
| Best Film | Michael Haneke | Yes | |
| FIPRESCI Prize | Michael Haneke | Yes | |
| Best Actress | Juliette Binoche | No | |
| Best Cinematographer | Christian Berger | No | |
| Best Screenwriter | Michael Haneke | No | |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Los Angeles Film Critics Association The Los Angeles Film Critics Association was founded in 1975. Its main purpose is to present yearly awards to members of the film industry who have excelled in their fields. These awards are presented each January... (USA) |
Best Foreign Language Film | Michael Haneke | Yes |
| Online Film Critics Online Film Critics Society The Online Film Critics Society is a professional association for film critics who publish their reviews, interviews, and essays on the Internet.The OFCS was founded in 1997... (USA) |
Best Foreign Language Film | Michael Haneke | No |
| San Francisco Film Critics San Francisco Film Critics Circle The San Francisco Film Critics Circle was founded in 2002 as an organization of film journalists and critics from San Francisco, California based publications.... (USA) |
Best Foreign Language Film | Michael Haneke | Yes |
| Southeastern Film Critics Southeastern Film Critics Association The Southeastern Film Critics Association is an organization of film reviewers from publications based in the Southeastern United States.... |
Best Foreign Language Film | Michael Haneke | Yes |