Ben (Benoît Poelvoorde) is a ruthless killer, callous thief, and all-around bad person. However, a film crew has signed on to follow him around, showcasing his seemingly endless charade of crimes–but one day their objectivity begins to dwindle, and things manage to get even worse. As the crew decides to begin helping Ben on his conquest, the crimes become more heinous, and more people’s lives are put in danger. Man Bites Dog is a dark, satirical mockumentary that aims to shed light on the way in which the world glorifies violence–and the harsh visuals present throughout the film are truly harrowing.
The phrase “man bites dog” is defined on Wikipedia as “a shortened version of an aphorism in journalism that describes how an unusual, infrequent event (such as a man biting a dog) is more likely to be reported as news than an ordinary, everyday occurrence with similar consequences, such as a dog biting a man.” This is such a fitting name for a film that focuses on some horrific ideas–and it explores the reasons behind why we, as a society, focus so heavily on the taboo. Man Bites Dog, the title, is just one of many things that work so well for this film.
The subtle nuances throughout the film that work to express the intricacies of the human psyche, the fact the Man Bites Dog is filmed in black and white, and the scary-good performance by Poelvoorde all work toward making this film wonderfully entertaining. Disclaimer: if you are squeamish, if you struggle to deal with blood and violence, and if the violence that takes place around the world each and every day bothers you, Man Bites Dog is not for you. All of these things exist throughout the course of the film–and they come to life as a result of the things I previously listed. While the things present in this film may not appear to be necessary, they play such a pivotal role in what Writer-Directors Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, Poelvoorde, and Vincent Tavier are trying to convey to their audience. Every step of the way brings the sad sentiments of violence and its place in this world to life–and that’s thanks to those four aforementioned individuals.
Most of Man Bites Dog is impressive, but what impressed me the most was the amount of time and effort put forth by Belvaux, Bonzel, and Poelvoorde. These three not only directed this film, but they wrote it, starred in it, and produced it (Belvaux also edited the film and Bonzel filmed). They had their hands in seemingly every aspect of this film, and without them I don’t think Man Bites Dog ever comes to be. They are brilliantly talented actors–and their performances are downright scary throughout, never missing a beat, never failing to convey emotion (or lack thereof)–and the things viewers see on screen hit that much harder as a result of their performances.
Furthermore, what this group is able to do in terms of filming and editing, creating continuity in a film that could have easily gotten lost, is impressive. There is so much going on, and the story does bounce around quite a bit–but this group ensures that viewers know where they are and what exactly is occurring throughout. Man Bites Dog, ironically enough, manages to remain even keeled throughout, through every single instance of insanity, tragedy, and suffering.
Man Bites Dog is one of the most difficult-to-swallow films that I’ve even seen, and that feeling never relents throughout its entirety. It’s not a film made for the masses, not a film that will appeal to the majority of viewers–but Man Bites Dog is a film full of purpose, meaning, relevancy. It never stops moving toward expressing the danger of how we perceive violence. It gets its message across in gut-wrenching fashion, and the men in charge of bringing this film to life never miss a beat. I can’t promise that you’ll love this film, but understand that through each and every one of the harrowing images is beautiful sentiment doing all that it can to right the wrongs of this violent world.
Directed by Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, & Benoît Poelvoorde.
Written by Rémy Belvaux, André Bonzel, Benoît Poelvoorde, & Vincent Taiver.
Starring Benoît Poelvoorde, Jacqueline Poelvoorde-Pappaert, Nelly Pappaert, Hector Pappaert, Jenny Drye, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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