Films › Michael Haneke

Benny's Video (1992)

Film

DirectorMichael Haneke

Meta takes3

Figures

Locations

The family's sterile, emotionally cold apartment

Form & technique

The murder scene, as viewed through Benny's distorted video monitor
Benny's camera as an object
The long, static shot of the parents watching the murder video

Tropes

Benny's video footage of the pig slaughter and murder → The Hyperreal Mirage
The parents' decision to dismember and dispose of the girl's body
The off-screen sounds of the captive bolt pistol during the murder → The Unseen Soundscape
Benny's compulsive re-watching of his own videos → The Unspeakable Void

Films most connected to Benny's Video

Zodiac (2007) — via The Hyperreal Mirage, The Unspeakable Void
Three Colors: Blue (1993) — via The Unspeakable Void
Perfect Blue (1997) — via The Unspeakable Void
The Thing (1982) — via The Unspeakable Void
The Departed (2006) — via The Unspeakable Void
Prisoners (2013) — via The Unspeakable Void
The Dark Knight (2008) — via The Unspeakable Void
Waltz with Bashir (2008) — via The Unspeakable Void