Benny’s Video
Haneke’s second feature is a disturbing examination of an unhinged teenager who perceives his life as distilled through video images. Before the opening credits have even appeared, we are subjected to footage of a pig being slaughtered… And then once more in slow motion. We then discover that it’s a home movie shot by Benny and that continually watching the pig’s death is the only thing that moves him to emotional response. He is as vacuous and unreceptive to his parent’s mundane requests as to horrific news stories from the world around him.
-> The Piano Teacher
