Benny's Video (1992)

About Benny's Video

Benny's Video is an Austrian-Swiss drama film directed by Michael Haneke. The story revolves around the 14-year-old Benny who is a part of a well-off Viennese family and is inclined towards technology and violence. The movie narrates a disturbing depiction of alienation and moral decay arising from media obsession. Benny brings home a girl and ends her life, after making her watch a video of a pig being slaughtered, using a bolt gun that he previously stole, capturing the act on his video camera. He later confesses to his parents, who, instead of approaching the police, help him cover up the murder. The movie jolts the audience by its dark plot.

Making / Production

Directed by Michael Haneke, Benny's Video is a critical portraiture of the media-backed modern society. The film used the medium of cinema to discuss the concepts of violence and reality. The production was a joint venture between Austria and Switzerland's Wega Film and Marin Karmitz's MK2.

Actors

• Arno Frisch: He portrayed the character of Benny. Frisch perfectly embodied the role of a cold and aloof teenager who is desensitized by the impact of media.
• Angela Winkler: She played the character of Anna, Benny's mother, tasked with the moral dilemma of her son's horrifying act.
• Ulrich Mühe: He played the role of Georg, Benny's father, who makes the choice of protecting the family facade over justice.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• This was the second installment in director Michael Haneke's "emotional glaciation" trilogy, following "The Seventh Continent" and preceding "71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance".
• Director Haneke's trademark themes such as media desensitization to violence, the impact of moving images, and emotional paralysis are evident in Benny's Video.

Quotes

• "Why don't they show the whole film?" - Benny
• "You don't learn that sort of thing merely by observing." - Georg

Music, Soundtrack

• The majority of the movie is devoid of music, aligning with Haneke's dedicatory filmmaking style. However, intense and dramatic sound effects are used to convey emotions and events, providing a realistic and direct approach to cinema.