The final pick of Palme d'Or movies you have to see is also the third director on this list to have picked up the award twice - Austrian director Michael Haneke's most recent win came in 2012 with the release of his heart-wrenching study of death, Amour. The production history of The White Ribbon bears more than a passing resemblance to that of David Lynch's Mulholland Drive - both films started out as intended pilots for a television series but were forced to shoot additional footage and re-edit it as a feature when financial backing fell through. Here, Haneke paints a broad picture of a fictional German town at the dawn of the 20th century, plagued by mysterious acts of violence in which the culprit remains elusive and the deeply religious community leaders wrestle with their collective guilt. Beautifully shot in a style reminiscent of Ingmar Bergman, this is Haneke laying society bare and exposing the dark underbelly whilst offering a commentary on the conditions which may have led to Naziism. What other Palme d'Or winning movies would you recommend? Why not let us know in the comments below?
