Re-critisizing the guilt theme in Michael Haneke's films, based on its relationships to simulation theory

Michael Haneke is a director who can be named as an auteur as well, since he has written most of the scripts of his films which has reached over twenty, including directing a multiple of television series. The number of awards and the numerous nominations he has won, are the proof of his success and great comprehension of social analysis. It is thought that the 'crime' within the 'guilt' theme which confronted with in director's films, is the most important aspect, that is crucial to understand his sociological opinion in his late capitalist bourgeois society. In this research, 'Simulation Theory' is the concept chosen as the most suitable way of decomposition the films on crime, guilt and violence which the bourgeois individuals, who are alienated both in society, family relations, even in themselves, find themselves in. Alongside the information about the modern history of European society starting from Cold War and its simulated relations with the 'crime' and 'guilt', in this study also there can be found noticeable approaches by the important philosophers of the era and instances from European cinema specified on this subject. As the sampled films Benny's Video (1992), 71 Fragmente Einer Chronologie des Zufalls (1994), Funny Games (1997), Code Inconnu: Récit incomplet de divers voyages (2000) and Caché (2005) have been studied in order to comprehend the relationships in-between the 'Simulation Theory', which created by Jean Baudrillard in late 1970s, and the crime/guilt approach of the theme that focused in Michael Haneke films. Keywords: Simulation, simulacra, reality, hyper reality, bourgeois, crime, guilt,alienation, sociologic criticism, postmodern, deconstruction