Stars: Benoit Poelvoorde, Remy Belvaux. "How much ballast does it take to sink a dead kid?" Believe it or not, that's a question asked on a pop quiz given by a serial killer in the way over the top satire Man Bites Dog. A takeoff on "reality" based TV shows, director Remy Belvaux's outrageous film reverses the traditional formula: rather than follow the cops, Belvaux's camera crew tags along with a mass murderer instead. The killer, Benoit (Benoit Poelvoorde) hasn't a single politically correct bone in his body--misogynist, racist, not to mention pathological--Benoit is also an extemporaneous poet, sidewalk philosopher, and reasonably good pianist in addition to his official job (serial killer, preferably of well-off elderly widows). Underneath the hood of this extremely black comedy, however, is an exploration of our fascination with violence as well as our complicity in being observers. As director Remy Belvaux (who plays the "director" in the film) follows Benoit on his bloody missions, he and his crew find themselves crossing the line (from helping to find a victim with the "zoom lens" to assisting in the disposal of bodies). Even more ironic is the fact that the money from Benoit's murderous exploits is used to help finance the making of the film. The "unrated edited version" is missing the two most disturbing and distasteful scenes in the film: one in which Benoit chases and suffocates a young boy, and another in which a woman is gang-raped and later shown butchered. As horrendous as these scenes are (and they are very ugly), the original NC-17 version may still be the better choice, because audiences need to be shocked into questioning our too easy acceptance of violent "reality" programming as "entertainment." However, the point is also made well in the "unrated edited version" without turning as many stomachs. The edited version is approximately four minutes shorter than the NC-17 version. [Note: Man Bites Dog has been banned in Australia and Sweden.] Audience: A must for anyone interested in film, or media in general. Also, fans of great satirical films like Network, A Clockwork Orange, and This Is Spinal Tap.
Man Bites Dog
Comedy, Fox Lorber Home Video, in French w/English subtitles (good), 1992, B/W, 92 min., $89.95, available in an unrated edited version and NC-17 Director's Cut (graphic violence, language, nudity) Video Movies
Man Bites Dog
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