The White Ribbon

Name: The White Ribbon
Released: 2009
Cast: Christian Friedel, Ernst Jacobi, Leonie Benesch, Ulrich Tukur, Fion Mutert

2009 · Movie · R

IMDB TMDB

Research evidenceResearch evidence — scores and sourced research

Scored entertainment-first on WhatSphere's content-balance model 3

Its director stated on the record that "i wanted to present a group of children on whom absolute values are being imposed, What I was trying to say was that if someone adopts an absolute principle, w…" 1. Its narrative-universality assessment registers 8 of 10 2. Taken together, the content-balance model places it entertainment-first at 7 of 100 3. Relative to the expected cast make-up for its production origin, on-screen representation registers above the baseline for White 4.

The receipts — every claim above is sourced

1
Creator statementdirector: "I wanted to present a group of children on whom absolute values are being imposed. What I was trying to say was that if someone adopts an absolute principle, when it becomes absolute then it becomes…"Emanuel Levy interview, 2009 source ↗
2
Narrative universalityNarrative universality 8 of 10; identity centrality incidental.WhatSphere content assessment. Narrative universality 8/10 -> advocacy signal 22
3
Content balanceAdvocacy 7 of 100, tier entertainment-first.WhatSphere content-balance model, score_version 1. Narrative universality 8/10 -> advocacy signal 22
4
RepresentationRepresentation vs production-origin baseline: White 83.WhatSphere representation model, score_version 1

WhatSphere presents the sourced record; it does not cast the judgement. Every statement above is drawn from a stored, sourced row — shown beside it — and nothing is asserted beyond what those receipts support.

Data updated May 25, 2026Scored, pending verification.Think a score is wrong? Submit a correction.

Synopsis

An aged tailor recalls his life as the schoolteacher of a small village in Northern Germany that was struck by a series of strange events in the year leading up to WWI.