Torture by Video Tape

Ever gone to a movie and been confused through the whole thing until it all becomes clear at or near the end? Of course you have. It's happened to me somewhere around one hundred times. Ever gone to a movie where you had no clue what was going on and at the end you found yourself ten times more confused? That's a true rarity. I'd venture to say it's nearly impossible in an American film. The French film "Caché" is such an animal. When the closing credits ran I was so thoroughly confused that I figured I must have been in some sort of stupor and missed something. Turns out that the director Michael Haneke (he also wrote the screenplay) actually specializes in cinema without answers. That's what juices him. In "Caché" he has created a fun house mirror effect, updated for the techno age. Nothing is as it seems, or is it?

The story is of a family consisting of the father, Georges (Daniel Auteuil), mother, Anne (Juliette Binoche) and child, Pierrot (Lester Makedonsky). For some unknown reason this rather well to do but far from extraordinary family has come under surveillance through the use of video cassettes delivered to the family anonymously by someone who is obviously trying to terrorize them, and succeeding. The police can offer no help because no concrete crime has been committed.

Eventually the tapes become more personal and Georges begins to track down his tormentor but the person he finds may or may not be the guilty party. One moment you think he is, the next moment he appears to be a red herring.

To go any further into the plot would give away too much to someone who intends to see it. "Caché" is not about the final result. It is about the mystery of the journey. At the very end of the film, which still is far from unclear as to who did what to whom, comes a final scene that you should watch very intently. However, doing so will not help you figure out the truth. In fact, it will add an amazing dimension to the confusion. After the movie you will think a great deal about what you have seen and you can't hope for anything more from a film draped in mystery and tension.