Page - 59 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 04/01

Punishment and Crime | 59www.jrfm.eu 2018, 4/1, 47–61 Several similarities to The White Ribbon are striking. Christian morals are set as a guiding principle and as a symbol for a rural community to live up to. Men assume power over women. The strict logic of the starting point is followed through to the end. If there is balance in the world, then one good deed has to be rewarded by another good deed. That seems natural. But when it means rape and starvation, something must be wrong with the equation. The most striking similarity is that in the end the spectators find their moral values shattered. The main difference between the films is that Dogville has a narrator who is not part of the story but knows the characters’ motives and narrow- mindedness. That knowledge reveals even greater ugliness, and we might be pleased that we do not have to hear the hateful thoughts that likely populate the mind of Klara in The White Ribbon. As a matter of fact, in the rare instances when characters speak out in The White Ribbon, their speech is uncomfortably straightforward. We might feel that the most hideous acts in the film involve the spectator, but the doctor’s denigrating of Mrs Wagner is in fact far worse. ORDER AND LOGIC What does Dogville tell us about The White Ribbon? It hints at another aspect of the immoral world: self-righteousness. Setting a moral example, bragging about it, feeling superior because of it, displaying it as a trophy – such acts open a Pandora’s Box. Almost all the characters are guilty of imposing on others to behave in cer- tain ways and of applying rules they have learned without considering of the effect on others. For example, Martin orders God to punish him (for what?) and when he is not punished by God believes that God approves of his acts. As a result the crimes continue. The doctor obeys the commandment to speak the truth, but humiliates Mrs Wagner by saying how he loathes her. A comparison of these films suggests that the real culprit in The White Rib- bon is the pastor. In a sense, he is also the narrator of the film, as he is responsi- ble for its title. Although we do not get to hear him preach in church, the word of God resonates in the speeches of this man, who thinks of himself as a pure and righteous person whose moral compass guides his children throughout. However, he is dumbfounded when his youngest son offers him his precious pet bird, which he had rescued from certain death, as comfort following the kill- ing of his own bird. He can merely stutter “thank you”, understanding that this boy, who performs this simple act of consolation, has probably internalised the concept of righteousness far better than he himself could fathom in all his years of being a pastor. Maybe this act also holds him back from punishing Klara for killing his bird, and granting her the ritual of confirmation to become an official member of the church.