Michael Haneke’s latest film, Amour, premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and went on win the Palme d’Or, making it his second win of the award in four years (The White Ribbon won in 2009). At the 25th European Film Awards, Amour was nominated in six categories and won in four, including Best Film and Best Director. The acclaim for the film further confirms Haneke’s position as one of the most significant living filmmakers.

Catherine Wheatley’s detailed study of his work, Michael Haneke’s Cinema, was published by Berghahn in 2009.  Screen magazine described it as “a bold, lucid, fiercely intelligent book, a vital addition to the study of contemporary cinema by one of the UK’s brightest young film critics.” It was also Sight & Sound Magazine Book of the Month, September 2009.

“Wheatley provides excellent close readings of a number of films and crucial film scenes. The book as a whole could be used in conjunction with a film course on Haneke, or its various chapters would lend themselves to discussions in graduate and even undergraduate courses on contemporary European film…The writing style is clear and while it pursues a critical theoretical analysis, it remains free from jargon. “  ·  Monatshefte

 
 

 

Here’s the trailer for Amour, which can be seen in the United States starting December 21st.