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

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.

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

Looses steam by the third act.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

There is so much symbolism here that there's no space left for a film. Haneke's philosophy of the impact of the medias on the collective subconciouse of modern society is both striking and fascinating, but to prove his point Haneke isolates every possible emotional reaction, both from the main character and the viewer, so that we can see his point of view completely. Yes, Haneke's point is an important one. But 'Benny's Video' is also damn boring, and it was intended to be so.

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).