Plot: What’s it about?
Ben (Benoit Poelvoorde) is a real class act, a gentleman who is intelligent, cultured, well liked, and of course, he’s a serial killer. As he represents an interesting subject in all aspects, filmmakers Remy (Remy Belvaux) and Andre (Andre Bonzel) decide to follow him and document his life’s work. It would be the film of the decade just for capturing the life of a brutal killer, but with Ben involved, it could be even bigger than those expectations. As he is not the normal serial killer, instead he loves to discuss art of all kinds, the finer points of music, his views on the decline of social structure, and other assorted topics, all while carrying out his horrific, blood soaked attacks, leaving behind a trail of dead bodies. As time passes, the two filmmakers find themselves drawn more and more into Ben’s world, even to the point of more interaction in his murder sprees. The pair soon begin to lose their objectivity and not long after that, it seems as though their morals have vanished, thanks to the time spent with this unusual man. But with tensions rising and danger around every corner, what will become of Ben and the filmmakers who follow him?
A most unique addition to the Criterion Collection, Man Bites Dog is a powerful, sometimes disturbing, always entertaining motion picture. Yes, it has enough violence to shake some viewers, but it is used in a satiric fashion, kind of like Natural Born Killers, but not as campish, if that makes sense. The violence is brutal however, especially since the filmmakers aren’t shy about showing it on screen, even in brutal, sadistic doses. The documentary style approach adds realism and impact to the violence of course, but it also puts some distance between us and the events, which works well in this case. We’ve seen this kind of fake documentary before, but Man Bites Dog pulls it off to sheer perfection, never coming off as retread material. And yes, this is an art film by the traditional scale, as it has ample. social commentary, but it doesn’t seem like one, thanks to a dark sense of humor, rampant violence, and overall level of fun involved. In truth, this movie is going to offend a lot of people and that’s good, since it should offend a lot of people, but it also stands as a tremendous effort, especially given the limited resources involved. I salute Criterion for bringing over one of my favorite laserdisc releases of theirs and of course, I give Man Bites Dog a most high recommendation, as it is superb in all respects.
As this was a true low budget, independent picture, you won’t see any big name stars, but then again, that’s a good thing here. Man Bites Dog is a dark, documentary style look into the life of a serial killer, do we really want Dennis Hopper in this one? I mean, I’m all for name workers popping up in low profile movies, but in a film like this one, recognizable faces would distract from the material, which is bad news, of course. Since we don’t know these performers, the documentary texture remains intact and that’s crucial, without question. The main role here is taken on by Benoit Poelvoorde, who also served as codirector and cowriter, so he was more than familiar with the needs of the material and such. As such, Poelvoorde is able to come off as vicious, sadistic, and ruthless, but also make the normal side seem believable, not an easy assignment. Other films with Poelvoorde include Doors of Glory, Dead Weight, The Signalmen, Ghislan Lambert’s Bicycle, Hikers, and The Carriers are Waiting.
Video: How does it look?
Man Bites Dog is presented in a 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. The image here is excellent, a nice improvement over the laserdisc in all aspects, but remember, this was supposed to look like a low budget documentary. As such, the image looks like a home movie, though that is the intent and of course, that’s what matters. The print has some light grain, but that enhances the documentary texture and thanks to Criterion’s restoration process, any unintentional print flaws have been removed. The black & white visuals look good, just crisp enough to be effective, but a little soft, to reinforce the visual style. All in all, a great looking presentation and one that offers marked improvements over prior versions.
Audio: How does it sound?
The film’s original French soundtrack is preserved here, via a mono option that is solid, but unremarkable. But that is not bad per se, as the documentary approach yields a different audio experience all around. You don’t want crisp, sharp sound effects and dynamic surround sound, instead you want a realistic soundscape, which is what we have here. The budget limitations never hinder things much, since a real documentary has audio hiccups, so by turn, this one has a few also, though nothing serious. In case you don’t speak French, this disc also includes new & improved optional English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In addition to the uncut version of the film itself, this disc houses some cool supplements, such as an informative interview with the three filmmakers. The trio guide us through the entire experience, from the conception of the premise through the tribulations of the actual production to the acclaim and controversy the film garnered when released. A solid addition to this disc, the interview has a lot of worthwhile insight and as such, is more than worth a spin. This disc also includes “No C4 for Daniel,” a short film by the same filmmakers, a selection of production stills, and of course, the film’s original theatrical trailer.
