Ben X (Nic Balthazar 2007): Belguim

Inspired by a true story Ben-X is about an Autistic boy who retreats into a computer game fantasy- world of his own, as a way of escaping tortuous bullying at the hands of the would- be “normal” students at school. Adapted from his book, “All he said was nothing” and directed with piercing honeys Ben X is the triumphant tour de Force of first time Belgium director Nic Balthazar. Balthazar courageously walks a tight rope between the harrowing subjects of bullying and teenage suicide. If the subject matter sounds disturbing, it is and that is exactly the point. Balthazar holds no prisoners in an attempt to show this ugly side of human nature, but don’t let that stop you from seeing the film. It’s one of the truly original films in decades. It is currently showing at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Ben X was Belgium’s official entry for the Academy Award for best foreign film. It won three awards at the Montreal World Film Festival: the Grand Prix des Ameriques, the Prix du Public, for most popular film and the Ecumencial Jury Prize for it’s exploration of ethical and social values. Ben X captures its audience from the first reel of film to the last.

Balthazar provides lazar sharp insight into the delicate mind of his protagonist Ben (Greg Timmermans). He has created a fully-formed character and edited the film in such a way that the viewer becomes enmeshed in Ben’s world. Ben’s declaration “I am nothing” pretty much sums up the inner workings of his psyche. Much of the believability of the film is a testament to the performance of Greg Timmermans in his breakthrough film debut. His dazzling performance is tempered with just the right amount of angst and fragility. This is a stunning feat as he barely utters a world of dialogue. Tom Barman’s haunting sound track provides a particularly effective window into Ben’s world, which is tortuous due to the insidious harassment of two school class mates who make it their mission to humiliate him. Ben’s only solace is retreating into a world of his own, playing a computer game called Arch lord. In this world Ben is a valiant hero who is matched only by his online avatar Scalite (Laura Verlinden). As the film progresses Ben’s worlds collide as he becomes the target of collective bullying, which even his school’s principal dismisses as “preparation for the real world.” The dialogue in this film is remarkably fresh and yet the viewer senses something is lost in the translation. The thematic elements are held together through the morphing of reality by the ingenious editing of Philippe Ravoet. Lightening- rod cuts and voice-over narration keep the viewer firmly invested in Ben’s world. Unfortunately this world becomes increasingly dark as he is subjected to relentless bullying and harassment. In a harrowing scene (that is as difficult to watch as any rape scene) Balthazar’s use of hand held camera work shows the grim reality of hundreds of thousands of teenagers who live out these “everyday horrors” in increasing numbers throughout the world.

Unable to express his pain and shame Ben retreats deeper into his fantasy world. After discovering that a video tape of his humiliation has been posted on the internet (the only place he feels safe) Ben vows to exact revenge on his perpetrators “Courage is everything” he says.” In an interesting twist on convention Ben’s love interest Scalite (Laura Verlinden) becomes his liberator. “The Princess of Letters is always by my side when things get rough” Ben muses to himself. Balthazar seemed to understand his character from the inside out. Even in his fantasies Ben searches for “healing” in the presence of a woman. Males represent torture and a “culture of bullying” there is no protection from a male liberator, in Ben’s psyche. Laura Verlinden in her first film appearance is beguiling as Ben’s object of desire and redeemer. The character of Scalite (weather she is in fact real or a figment of Ben’s imagination) becomes an important symbol of liberation and redemption.

Ben X is a superbly crafted and original film. The slick cinematography and out of this world production design of Lou Berhams and Kurt Loyes, the team behind the stylish
de Intruder ( the Intruder ) add depth to the film in a way that is nearly impossible to describe. Ben X is a powerful film and a wonderful surprise. Just when we adults had given up on going to the movies; a film about intolerance and redemption written in an attempt to console the family of a seventeen year old Belgium boy who committed suicide, after being “bullied to death” restores our faith in the power of film.

To read an interview with Nic Balthazar, the director of Ben X, click the link below or copy and paste in your web browser.

Interview