“”The White Ribbon,”” directed by Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke, is a fascinating look at what people can do when motivated by fear and psychosis.

The German language film, shot entirely in black and white, is a focused, detailed portrait of a small reformist German village trying to solve the mystery of a series of shocking, random acts of violence on the eve of World War I. Haneke weaves a frightening tale about the human capacity for evil with highly artistic direction and cinematography, making it a must-see for art film buffs.

The narrative follows a schoolteacher in the village of Eichwald, Germany, as he falls in love in a town fraught with crime, suspicion and social distortion.

The film is a social commentary on evil, as well as the danger of religious extremism, which causes the entire town to become suspicious of each other in their almost rabid quest for ultimate purity.

“”White Ribbon”” also has strong political implications. When religion controls every aspect of life, Haneke suggests, a power like that can control people’s morality.

“”The White Ribbon”” is an extremely shocking and disturbing film — not necessarily for its graphic nature, but because of its depiction of the distortion of morality that a powerful social group can inflict on believing innocents.