the fly (1986) review

8/4/2019 The Fly (1986) Review

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David Cronenbergs remake of The Fly takes the story to a new level. He not only brings the film into the more

techno-savvy era of the 80s but explores the physical changes of Seth Brundles (Jeff Goldblum) transformation

into a human-fly hybrid. His use of body horror and the grotesque explores a more cancerous approach to the

metamorphism as well as using the story to touch on the issues of 1980s life.

It was commonly thought at the time the film came out that Brundles affliction was a metaphor for HIV. Aids was

widely spreading throughout the 80s and claiming lives causing massive distress. It was thought that the film

depicted how, once caught, the disease was an unstoppable force taking over the body and corrupting all in its

path demonstrated physically in Brundle as parts of his humanity became lost.For example how Joe Sommerlad

reflected on the film Released at the height of the AIDs epidemic, The Fly starts like a superhero movie but turns

out to be a surprisingly touching discussion of the impotence and heartbreak of watching a loved one die slowly

from a terminal wasting disease.(Sommerlad: 2009). However, Cronenberg was aiming for an even wider

category, as said in interview with Walter Chaw there was something aboutThe Fly story that was much more

universal to me: aging and death--something all of us have to deal with.(Cronenberg: 2003). The audience take

from it what they can connect to and the loss of a loved one is something to which most people can relate. It

perhaps plays with peoples fear of aging and losing bits of themselves demonstrated literally as Brundle storesthe disembodied pieces of himself in a cabinet as trinkets to remind him of a time before his deterioration.

Figure 2 - Goldblum and Getz as the Fly attacks

Figure 1 - Film Poster


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The film centres on the romance of VeronicaQuaife (Geena Davis), a science magazine reporter, and Brundle, the

experimental scientist. In comparison to the original, this relationship is in contrast to the happy married family

life of inventor Andre Delambre. Delambres relationship reflected the culture of the 50s where as Brundles

reflects the more dysfunctional 80s relationships. Combining physical dysfunctionality with emotional, Meshing

his (Cronenbergs) perennial obsessions with disease, decay and metamorphosis into an exuberantly handled,

shamelessly melodramatic love story(Smith: 2006). In some opinions, Cronenberg explores mans challenge to

adapt to the independent woman and mans instinct to be dominant. Brundle, in the opening scene, is quite

awkward and sensitive around Veronica. His suggestion that she document his work places them both on equal

ground as both would ultimately benefit from the partnership. However, as the fly becomes more dominant in his

personality he becomes more aggressive and detached. Then, in the build up to the final scene, Brundle snatches

Veronica and takes her back to his lab. When the freedom, Brundle speaks about, of his locked in animal nature

takes hold his instinct was to protect his mate and his offspring.

Veronicas struggles to be respected as a working woman by her boss and ex-lover, Stathis Borans (John Getz). At

the beginning of the film Brundle, though very foreword is respectful to Veronica and treats her as an equal

whereas Stathis tries controlling her and is very domineering. After Brundle is spliced with the fly his animal

instincts start showing through as he becomes hostile and forceful with Veronica, at the same time, though more

subtly, Stathis becomes caring over her till in the end he saves her life despite being mortally wounded.

Despite the people of the 1980s being very much integrated to the fast flash of technology that swamped the

world since the original The Fly of the 1950s Cronenberg still delves into the troubled relationship between man

and the techno age. This time its less about the loss of god but more focused on the experimentation side and

how safe is it all. As IGN state Cronenberg's films have always examined the uneasy relationship mankind shares

with technology (IGN: 2005). The first graphic body horror the audience are exposed to is the living, inside-out

body of a baboon. It seems like an unnecessary death and seems Cronenberg intended the audience to be

uncomfortable and shocked by the death.

Figure 3 - Brundle (Goldblum) when first he sees hes mutating

Cronenberg uses his talent for gore and manipulation of the audience to carry them into uncomfortable areas and

forces them to suffer though much as they must be suffered in life. The film uses metamorphosis as a metaphor

for aging, deterioration and what it means to be human.


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Bibliography

Sommerlad, Joe (2009), Celluloid Dreams - http://www.celluloiddreams.co.uk/thefly.html

Cronenberg, David (2003), in interview with Walter Chaw -

http://filmfreakcentral.net/notes/dcronenbergretrointerview.htm

Smith, Adam (2006), Empire Magazine -

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=117254

US, (2005) IGN -http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/655/655282p1.html

Picture Sources

Fig. 1 Film Poster (1986) From: The FlyDirected by: David Cronenberg. [Film Poster] USA: 20th

Century Fox

Fig. 2 Goldblum and Getz as the Fly attacks (1986) From: The FlyDirected by: David Cronenberg. [Film Still]

USA: 20

th

Century Fox

Fig.3 Brundle (Goldblum) when first he sees hes mutating (1986) From: The FlyDirected by: David

Cronenberg. [Film Still] USA: 20th

Century Fox
http://www.celluloiddreams.co.uk/thefly.htmlhttp://filmfreakcentral.net/notes/dcronenbergretrointerview.htmhttp://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=117254http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?DVDID=117254http://filmfreakcentral.net/notes/dcronenbergretrointerview.htmhttp://www.celluloiddreams.co.uk/thefly.html

the fly (1986) review

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