Benny's Video

The notion that Michael Haneke does not create sensationalist films is a myth, perpetuated first of all by Haneke himself. This is not necessarily to condemn him, but it does tend to mean that the critical aspects of his movies are rather incoherent, inconsistent, and probably hypocritical. In this effort, which is not without interest, the characters are essentially puppets moved around from scene to scene by a director who seems to have difficulty conveying genuine psychological insights.

Haneke’s first but certainly not last finger wagging about the evil of violent media, not that far removed from a Jack Chick tract just gorier and in color.

The act of violence is lost in translation through our media outlets, and desensitizes the curiosity of it’s real impact. Viewed from afar in a more westernized society, is frightening in itself and the idea that the consequences of murder could have more priority is a real slap in the face from Haneke, which is great because he’s never gonna let the audience have what they want of course.

This seems to me to be less a critique of violence-in-media per se (an overly simplistic analytical springboard) and more a scathing indictment of neglectful parenting that catalyzes the formations of desensitization in young sociopaths in the first place. A bitter pill that doesn't pose the dichotomy of Nature vs. Nurture so much as shows us that the two are often inextricably, and tragically, tied together. The snuff film scene is filmed with the utmost terror only Haneke could properly do.

The theme of being desensitized to violence by the media is handled more effectively in Funny Games, and the smugness that some detected in that film is all over this one. Benny's sociopathology feels very contrived, and on more than one occasion I was rolling my eyes. While I wouldn't go so far as to call it "one-note", it does seem to hammer home the same point a few too many times. But I can't deny it's a powerful and provocative film, with a few interesting tidbits to chew on.

Absolutely chilling film and proof that no-one can do on- or off- screen violence better than Haneke; he's just so upfront with this particular matter. Possibly his most darkest film, there's probably no humour at all to be had here.

The first shot of the pig being executed is particularly upsetting, however when Benny and the girl watch it again in his room, I remember thinking: Oh, that wasn't so bad. Then, immediately, I thought, damn you Haneke for your psychological machinations!

Another interesting, yet very boring movie. Some scenes are painfully long and empty. We see family eating dinner without talking, that scene lasts for one whole minute. In the first 10 seconds I get that the family members are quite disconnected, hokay? The following 50 seconds is pain. I watched that pig die again and again and again, 5 full minutes for pig being killed. This movie could have been something, material wasted.

Starts out extremely interesting in it's cinema verite-style and has some similiar scenes to Haneke's admired director Hitchcock's Psycho. However, after "the climax", movie starts dragging. Would have been better and powerful as a 45 min short movie.

Anton Chigurh origin story

Often said to be the not-as-good precursor to Funny Games, Benny's Video is similarly about desensitized media, but it's far more dispassionate than the later film. Fascinated with morbidity, yet utterly estranged from it. It is a bit tedious in spots but - cliche as it might be - that's the point isn't it?

Fuck them for literally killing an animal for this film. The message overall is clear, the script is fine; quite the disappointment.

pazar sabahı izledim.

I think this is as boring as a movie can ever get

Watched 60% of it and +1 for the hot murder scene.

cool and uncomfortably realistic, but dumb ending

I love Michael Haneke, but that being said this was a pretty weak film overall. However, that is only really due to the second half dragging on forever. The first half was easy enough to get through but then it just drudged all the way to the end.

Haneke sen nasil bi siddet seven insansin? Nasil bi psikopatsin. Filmde Benny'nin yaptiklarindan cok anasinin babasinin tavrina sasip kaliyorsun. "Daha kucucuk velet ne halt yiyor sonra ana baba da tik yok. Sakin ol oglum bisey yok. Nasi bisey yok okuz." dedirttirir. Filmin anlatimi size boyle seyler dedirtiyorsa Haneke'nin guzelligi iste.

tekrar

As a heavily symbolic movie about the consequences of media's behaviour it's well efficient and coherent but as often the case with Haneke's movies it's a bit too preachy and ice cold as far as real human emotions are concerned. I feel like this movie tries to lecture me as aggressively as general media tries to brain wash me.

I've seen countless movie deaths but the one in this film was the first in a long time to really shock me! That moment is pure Haneke, it reminded me of Isabelle Huppert's disgusting actions in "La pianiste". I wanted to see a full descent into madness from Benny but Haneke didn't give us that, he just put the parents in charge and sent him off to Egypt. The remainder of the film thus becomes a bit of a let down compared to the compelling opening 30 minutes. A memorable one nonetheless.

73.000

Another disturbing, relentlessly unsentimental, provocative, deeply intelligent piece of filmmaking from Michael Haneke. It's concerned primarily with violent images in the media, both in terms of the effect they could have on people (probably the most striking touch in the film is a fairly early scene which seems to be commenting on how the media encourages us to replace sexuality with violence), but also asking us to criticise our own personal relationship with violent images.

you cannot break the rule of the game

Not Haneke's best, so I've heard. But I enjoyed it enough, well, as much as you can 'enjoy' this film

Most interesting.

Here, Haneke's strict obsession with VCR serves like an interesting prelude to Funny Games, highly concerned with politics -- you see on TV breaking news about this new Europe and these new conflicts in old Iugoslavia -- and morality involving parents of this little cold assassin. He kills, provides few explanations about it, and basically leaves the body to his dad. You will never see a youth as empty as Benny's.

Highly disturbing, as it should be expected from Haneke, though not as well rounded/written as most of the rest of his films.

One of Haneke's weaker films, but still great compared to most other movies. I found it a bit tedious near the end, but the first hour or so is fantastic. It felt realistic, this could easily have been based on a true story.

http://www.otekisinema.com/bennys-video-1992/

"A smug, contemptuous, passive-aggressive attack on the dehumanizing effects of media." - Eric Henderson

Looses steam by the third act.

Pointless - and that's kind of the point of it.

Pretty damned creepy. Loses steam at times, but still a chilling and poignant Haneke commentary.

A film worth watching. Suspenseful and shocking. But I gave it a low score anyway because films from this period of Haneke (I mean The Seventh Continent, Benny's video and 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance) somehow don't really capture me at a gut level. I don't understand why (Funny Games totally captured me, for instance). Maybe because I watched these three on DVD, maybe because I wasn't in the mood (i.e. emotionally unavailable) at the time I watched them.

The intensity wears off towards the end, which is unfortunate, because certain scenes in this movie are really damn intense.

"...in the end, with a character that repellent and a message so heavy handed, there is no need to commit ourselves to this bitter, merciless film."

good movie

Very interesting and powerful.

An interesting look at violence in the media that doesn't go over the top (Natural Born Killers) or blatantly manipulate you (Funny Games).