Man Bites Dog begins with a strangling filmed with casual indifference. This immediately sets the tone for the rest of the "documentary," in which fictitious serial killer Ben goes around causing all sorts of mayhem, which includes more murder, breaking and entering, robbery, and rape. He is no philistine though as he also provides invaluable insight to his crimes, such as the proper technique for weighing dead bodies down under water and why he rarely ever kills children (while suffocating one under a pillow). "They're too much of a hassle," he says. "Especially when the media gets involved."
This is an ironic statement considering the role media plays in this film. Ben is followed diligently by his camera crew who attempt to film a fly-on-the-wall type of documentary with as much objectivity and indifference as possible. However as the film progresses, the film crew becomes more and more involved with Ben's crimes. It begins with shining the camera's light in a dark room so Ben can locate his victim. It progresses to Ben allowing one of them to make a kill himself. In the pinnacle of their debauchery they take turns raping a woman.
The film is so over the top violent that it cannot be taken seriously, yet it is enough to make you think as to what they are trying to say. I took the relationship between Ben and his film crew as a statement of the media's role regarding the attitudes of violence. This can be seen in the news every day as the leading stories seem to always be crime related; murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery, etc. Man Bites Dog puts all this out in front and works well as a satire. While being very dark and morbid, it is also at times very funny. We are allowed to laugh because we realize just how ridiculous it is.
I like violence in my films as much as the next guy, and I think this film does it well, but its message seems so simple and obvious that I wonder if all the blood could have been saved for something more poignant. Or maybe there is something deeper, I just haven't figured it out yet. (I haven't read any reviews or analysis of the film yet.) I will give Man Bites Dog credit for having such a unique premise though; it had me hooked from the very start. It is helped by Ben's character, who is clearly a psychopath, yet is so affable and funny, making him almost likable.
Grade: B
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