If you're even reading a review of a 2 hour 17 minute, German, (sub-titled), black and white film you clearly have a minority taste in film. For this small group of readers I would highly recommend this insight into strict Lutheran pre-war philosophy. Severely oppressive by today's standards but illuminating to glimpse into and speculate on how fascism grew from it, and indeed how any extremely disciplined culture spawns disastrous politics.
Haneke's haunting parable set in a small German village on the eve of WWI - told from the perspective of a local teacher (with a voice over looking back many years later) it tells of a series of events that took place - some mundane, others quite horrific that engulfed the village - no-one can be found to be blamed and this creates tensions that ratchet up the already tense relationship between the major characters. Its as much a mediation on the roots of evil and how in the years to come these roots will manifest themselves as history. Its engrossing throughout with long elegant takes and fantastic B&W photography - its quite slow and at 2h24m quite a long haul but won the Palme D'Or at Cannes that year - and it does reward the effort.....
A very dark insight into what might be a rural idylic village. Strict family regimes, cruelty, depravity. Sinister incidents shock and intrigue the viewer. A harrowing and unexpected "who dunnit"