I went into this film blissfully unaware of it's subject matter, plot, or any of the gory details. For this, I am very grateful, because the pure visceral shock I received upon first starting the film made the subsequent journey all the more enjoyable. I have never been, and most likely never will be, a fan of the slasher flick. But, despite Man Bites Dog containing a large amount of gore and death, I found myself enthralled rather than repelled by the film. The editing is sharp, often juxtaposing extremes to maximum comedic effect, which contributes more to the feeling of "strangeness" than the events depicted onscreen. There are cases where quick jump cuts of people being brutally murdered form almost a visual and sonic melody set against long, quiet, almost serene shots of their bodies being dumped into a quarry. The humor of the film was easily the best and most pleasant surprise, often making me laugh in spite of myself at extremely inappropriate moments, like people being shot. And I rarely laugh when people get shot. Like, 25% of the time. 40% tops. Or, running into a different killer with his own set of film crew and the light-hearted manner in which they dispose of the mirror reflections of themselves. Also, the running gag of sound guys being killed off like drummers in Spinal Tap was amusing. Especially when given an obituary in-film by the director referring to their deaths as "occupational hazards" and dedicating the film to their memory. Twice.
Despite the humor, the film itself is extremely dark in subject matter. Seeing the film crew slowly but steadily fall into a routine of not just observing murder, but participating in the grisly activities, is not only disturbing, but begs the question of responsibility of the artist. It reminded me of debates I have heard over journalists who visit war-torn or poor areas and whether or not they should intercede or just observe and report. While (obviously) in the film, the situation is more immediate and dire, the morality behind it draws the appropriate parallels about the responsibility of media in the face of tragedy and suffering. The film crew that act as Benoit's shadows and accomplices eventually get caught in the web of violence and meet the same end as those who trade in violence, and it feels both bittersweet and appropriate. 7.5/10
I give it a higher rating than you do (on the 10 scale it would probably receive a 9) however I feel that the last act loses some momentum, so to speak. Although I will say its a bit disturbing that by the end of the movie you have joined the film crew in having become numb to what Benoit has been doing the entire time. Its a really powerful film for the most part, one that was controversial since it dared to peak inside the mind of a serial killer and ask the audience to just go along with what he is doing. A lot of people didn't like that, I imagine.
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