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THE WHITE RIBBON

"Disturbing, False Anti-Christian Thesis"

What You Need To Know:

THE WHITE RIBBON is an Austrian movie about a German village just before the start of World War I troubled by a series of unexplained deaths and near deaths. Meanwhile, the strict village pastor beats his teenage son and daughter with a cane in front of others. The thesis of the movie is that the strict Protestant influence in Germany created a society of victims who, in turn, became sadistic in nature. This group of teenager at the start of World War I allegedly becomes the adults of World War II who supported Hitler and the Nazi Party.

THE WHITE RIBBON is well made and well directed. Shot in black and white, it creates the feeling that viewers are watching history. There is much mention of God, there are Christian symbols, and many scenes take place in church. But, the pastor is a sadistic, mean father who beats his children and ties up his son to keep him sexually pure. This movie sends the abhorrent and extremely politically correct message that Protestant Christianity is to blame for Hitler and World War II. Media-wise viewers will reject this false, horrible message.

Content:

(HHH, AbAbAb, RHRHRH, PCPCPC, PaPa, C, B, L, VV, SSS, A, D, MMM) Very strong humanist, Anti-Christian worldview with very strong revisionist, politically correct history as a pastor is shown to be sadistic and movie says that Protestant Christianity is to blame for Adolf Hitler and World War II, combined with a strong pagan outlook, though Psalm 147 is read aloud, scenes are set in church, and a note says God punishes children for the sins of their parents; three light obscenities and five profanities; strong, disturbing violence includes teenagers are beaten with cane off screen as their screams are heard, man slaps man, man slaps woman, man hits teenage boy, man falls off horse, effects shown of bird having been impaled with a letter opener, the effects of a beating are shown, and a young boy is blinded; very strong sexual content includes two scenes of depicted sex, adultery, discussion of sex, references to self abuse, and an implied scene of incest; no nudity; drinking of alcohol; smoking; and, teenager tests God and comes to the wrong conclusion, teenagers bully and beat mentally handicapped boy, possible revenge, and movie slanders Christianity.

More Detail:

THE WHITE RIBBON is an Austrian movie about a German village just before the start of WWI that is troubled by a series of unexplained deaths and near deaths. Most of the village works on the Baron’s estate. One of the workers falls through slats in a barn. The doctor’s horse is sabotaged, causing the doctor to fall and break his arm and back. The Baron’s son is tied up and beaten. A young, mentally handicapped boy is beaten and blinded. A pet bird is impaled with a letter opener. A window is opened in winter in the nursery, nearly killing an infant. A man is found dead in his barn, though the cause is unknown, possibly suicide.

Meanwhile, the strict village pastor beats his teenage son and daughter with a cane in front of others for coming home late to supper. He makes them both wear a white ribbon for a year to help them to remember to be pure in their actions. He ties up the same teenage son to the bed at night to keep him from abusing himself sexually.

All of these actions are told through the eyes of the schoolteacher, a young man who becomes engaged to a nanny working for the Baron.

The schoolteacher tries to figure out what is behind all of these strange events but before he can, WWI breaks out and he is drafted, never to return to the village again. There are hints as to who did what to whom, but the mystery is left unresolved. The teacher/narrator at the start of the movie explains that he is telling the tale because it may explain what happened to his country. He is narrating in hindsight after the rise and fall of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany. His thesis, and that of the movie, is that the strict Protestant influence created a society of victims who, in turn, became sadistic in nature. This group of teenagers grows up to become Nazi Germany. The teenagers in the story at the start of WWI are the adults of WWII.

THE WHITE RIBBON is well made and well directed. Shot in black and white, it creates a feeling that viewers are watching something from history. The director keeps his distance with the framing of the shots, except for victims. Most of the faces in close up are faces of the victims.

The movie’s humanist, anti-Protestant worldview is abysmal, vicious, and wicked. There is much mention of God, there are Christian symbols, and many scenes take place in the church building. But, the pastor is a sadistic, mean father who beats his children and explains to his son that he will die if he masturbates and must tie him up for his own good. This same teenage boy walks precariously along a bridge in order to “give God a chance to kill him.” The boy doesn’t fall, so he assumes God must not be mad at him.

The Schoolteacher/Narrator says that the mysteries were never solved, though there were rumors. The doctor was probably attacked because he was committing incest with his teenage daughter and the daughter’s suitor probably tried to kill him. The older teenage boy probably opened the window to expose the infant. The Baron’s son was beaten probably in revenge for the farmer’s wife who fell in the barn. And, the mentally handicapped boy was probably beaten and blinded simply for fun by the village teenagers.

The movie has many deaths, beatings, and screams behind closed doors. The teenagers take their first communion after being diligently taught by their father/pastor, but the movie views them as victims and victimizers, not new believers in Jesus Christ.

While it is true that Nazi Germany in many ways did not have a moral conscience, it is completely false to say it was caused by Christianity. Adolf Hitler’s ideology, and the ideology of his National Socialist Party, was an anti-capitalist, semi-socialist, and anti-Christian Romantic worldview that supported intense nationalism, racism, and big government. Under Hitler’s leadership, the Nazi Party advocated the transfer of social welfare programs from churches to the State. That is how Hitler’s plan to promote euthanasia and, eventually, extermination of “undesirable” people began.

THE WHITE RIBBON is an abhorrent movie that slanders Protestant Christianity. Media-wise viewers will reject it.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.