Page - 48 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 04/01

48 | Gerwin van der Pol www.jrfm.eu 2018, 4/1, 47–61 tion who the perpetrators are is even more alarming. The title of the movie re- fers to the white ribbon that the pastor’s children have to wear to remind them (and the community) of the concept of purity and good behaviour. The film thus openly discusses morals, punishment and crimes. With the pastor as the strong defender of morals, the film seems to focus on religion and morals, and it would be tempting to interpret the film in the specific terms of religion. This article will deviate from this path by using a different, sociological, framework. The definition of religion that I adhere to in this article is neatly summarised by Grace Davie: “the sociology of religion aims to discover the patterns of social living associated with religion in all its diverse forms, and to find explanations for the data that emerge. It is not, in contrast, concerned with the competing truth claims of the great variety of belief systems that are and always have been present in human societies.”1 Throughout this article I will refer to the spectator as both male and fe- male or will use the inclusive first-person plural. This article describes part of the viewing process as a universal, human endeavour. Naturally, every specta- tor is free to have a private, unique viewing experience while watching a film, but that private part is not addressed here. For example, we all recognise the pastor as a pastor, but how we feel towards him is in part influenced by our private and specific thoughts, beliefs and emotions concerning religion. I do, however, write about morals, because every human being functions on the basis of a moral system, strongly influenced by society, history and personal experience. The film The White Ribbon is set in rural Eichwald in 1913. The film presents in chronological order, solemnly, calmly and precisely, the many atrocities that happen in the span of a year. It ends with the arrival of the news of Franz Fer- dinand’s assasination and with rumours of an impending war spreading. It is difficult to summarise the story as hardly any conclusions are reached and most crimes remain unsolved. The film is a series of seemingly unrelated events, some of which are gruesome while other scenes merely show the habitual events one could expect of a village, of every feudal society where men – the baron, the steward, the pastor, the doctor and the schoolteacher – are in power, and women, servants and farmers obey them. And we expect it to be, like any so- ciety, a place where children learn to behave and grow up in the footsteps of their fathers and mothers. On many levels the film is very difficult to process for the spectator. His/her morals are put to the test, but how that occurs has remained only partly ex- plained, even in the thorough analyses from Martin Blumenthal-Barby,2 Claudia 1 Davie 2013, 6. 2 Blumenthal-Barby 2014.