Our ongoing series reviewing the greatest Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror movies. Note that these reviews may contain spoilers.
Directed By: David Cronenberg
Produced By: Marc Boyman, Stuart Cornfeld, Kip Ohman
Written By: George Langelaan (short story), Charles Edward Pogue, David Cronenberg
Starring: Jeff Goldblum, Geena Davis, John Getz
Original Release: 1986
Reviewed By: Aaron Hammonds
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (Highest Rating)
Synopsis: Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum), a brilliant physicist, is secretly working on a teleportation device. He meets, and eventually falls in love with, Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis), a journalist he invites to document his work. At first, the device seems to only be capable of teleporting inanimate objects; after additional experimentation, Seth works out the problem & successfully teleports a baboon. Just when they are about to celebrate, Veronica finds out her boss/former lover Stathis Borans (John Getz) is about to publish a story on Seth’s work, forcing her to leave Seth alone to confront him. Seth gets jealous, gets drunk, and teleports himself, inadvertently bringing along a house fly for the ride. The next day, after he & Veronica have made up, Seth discovers he has changed; his strength, speed, & agility have all been significantly enhanced. At first, he believes the device has somehow purified him, but he eventually discovers he has been genetically fused with the fly. Brundle gradually realizes he is not dying, but rather transforming into a new and terrifying life form…
Review/Commentary: Like most discriminating horror fans, I have a special fondness for sympathetic monsters. One of the best examples I can think of is Seth Brundle, yet another scientist who meddles in things man was not meant to know in the 1986 remake of The Fly, quite possibly my favorite science fiction film. It was my first exposure to David Cronenberg’s concept of “the New Flesh,” the idea that the most horrifying concept of all was the corruption of our own bodies; to use an oft-quoted phrase, the real terror lies within.
Some people think of this as simply an 80’s monster movie, a gore-drenched sci-fi grossout (every time we see Seth, he has further and further deteriorated; and don’t even ask how he has to eat). To do so ignores the heart of the story, however; at its core, this is a heart-wrenchingly tragic love story about a man who is slowly disintegrating before the very eyes of the woman who loves him dearly. Cronenberg once said that you could substitute any terminal illness for Brundle’s metamorphosis and thematically the film would play basically the same (several reviewers of the time actually saw the film as an allegory of the new disease that was starting to make major headlines: AIDS).
The themes touched upon by this movie are many & powerful: the age-old idea of science going too far (as old as science fiction itself), the corruption of newfound power (when he discovers his new physical strength, Seth become increasingly arrogant & aggressive), the destructive power of jealousy (Seth’s jealousy when Veronica leaves him to see Stathis is what leads him to his ill-fated trip through the telepods), the pain of lost love (Veronica can do nothing but watch as Seth gradually becomes less & less human). Probably the most obvious one, however, is the one mentioned by Cronenberg. The Fly is a powerful study of disease & decay. It is a reminder that we are all trapped in the web of our own mortality, crying in vain, “Help me…”
If I had to pick a favorite scene in The Fly, I think it would be the last time Veronica comes to see Seth in his apartment/lab. She has come to give him an important piece of news (don’t want to give everything away), and he senses how much she cares for him and wants to stay to comfort him. He knows this is impossible and gives one of the most memorable speeches I’ve ever seen in a film:
Seth: Have you ever heard of insect politics? (Veronica says no) Neither have I. (laughs) Insects don’t have politics. They’re very brutal; no compassion; no compromise. We cannot trust the insect. I’d like to become the first insect politician. You see, I’d like to, but…Veronica (crying): I don’t know what you’re trying to say…Seth: I’m saying, I’m an insect, who dreamt he was a man, and loved it. But now the dream is over, and the insect is awake…Veronica (crying): No, Seth…Seth: I’m saying, I’ll hurt you if you stay…
If you’ve never seen The Fly, I cannot recommend it strongly enough. It is a thrilling, moving, pulse-pounding cinematic experience that will haunt you long after the final credits (the ending itself will quite literally blow you away). I honestly believe The Fly is one of the most important science fiction films of the past 30 years.
Check out Aaron Hammonds’ blog Aaron’s Movie Madness where he reviews his favorite movies.
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