REVIEW: Cronenberg’s ‘The Fly’ reminds viewers of science gone awry
David Cronenberg is one of those visionary directors who continually reinvents himself with every new movie. The subject matter he explores is dark and boundary-pushing, often leaving the viewer with a sense of dread and perpetual pondering. Many of his films are modern classics.
In 1986, the director remagined the classic science fiction / horror film, The Fly. The result is not a tiresome exercise in gross-out gags (although there are some amazing makeup sequences), but instead a thoughtful, often scary parable on what can go wrong when the powers of science are given to an inquisitive mind. Parallels to Frankenstein are obvious.
Jeff Goldblum, in one of his finest performances, plays scientist Seth Brundle. He has created a machine, off the books from his other research, that can transform and transport willing participants. Think time travel meets Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory. Geena Davis plays Veronica Quaife, a journalist entranced by the possibilities of Seth’s machine but also scared of its implications. They eventually form a romantic relationship.
It doesn’t take long for the machine’s potentiality to rear its ugly head. Seth and a housefly are both transported at the same time. At first, it doesn’t seem as if anything went wrong; however, slowly and with great makeup effects, Seth transforms into a man-sized fly. Throughout the remarkably gross changeover, Cronenberg and his cast stick to the pathos behind the science fiction rather than the horror elements. If the film were simply about the makeup effects, it wouldn’t work as well as it does.
The Fly stands as a stylistic movie with strong performances from its two lead actors and a winning script by Cronenberg and Charles Edward Pogue. The movie is based on the original short story by George Langelaan. The conversations between Seth and Veronica are thoughtful and deep, often covering the many questions that pop into the minds of those with the power to change the future. They are living on the cutting-edge of science, and now they know what happens when humans try to tame the process.
For those viewers willing to go behind the makeup effects and infamous scene where Goldblum’s character peers at his half-man-half-fly self in the mirror, the movie holds many special wonders. This is a science fiction / horror film that prods the audience into answering some interesting questions: what is the meaning of life, should power go unchecked, how does fear and curiosity battle each other, are there mistakes in this world that people are unable to overcome. It’s not realistic to think that the viewer will encounter similar problems that Seth faces in the movie, but the frightening power of transformation is one that many people can identify with.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
- The Fly
- 1986
- Directed by David Cronenberg
- Written by Cronenberg and Charles Edward Pogue; based on the short story by George Langelaan
- Starring Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis
- Running time: 95 minutes
- Rating:
