Cronenberg. David Cronenberg emerged from the creative burst the horror genre produced in the 1970s to become one of the greatest auteurs on the planet in the modern era. Cronenberg’s great strength is the quality of his films 1-6 and the consistency of his oeuvre (and I mean hell I love Spider and that’s his #8 film). His 6th film matches up very well with Lynch, Malick, and clearly PT, Wes Anderson and Tarantino (though they are much younger).
Best film: Dead Ringers It is icy, perverse, and utterly brilliant. Jeremy Irons gives one of the best performances of the 1980’s in this ambitious masterpiece. Cronenberg’s work is intellectualized, unsympathetic and haunting- and this is all of those things.
total archiveable films: 16
top 100 films: 0
top 500 films: 6 (Dead Ringers, Crash, A History of Violence, Naked Lunch, The Fly, Videodrome)
top 100 films of the decade: 7 (Dead Ringers, Crash, A History of Violence, Naked Lunch, The Fly, Videodrome, Eastern Promises)
most overrated: Videodrome–on TSPDT. I’m fine with the #292 ranking- that’s not overrated by much (I’m at #444)– but I don’t think it’s his best film. It’s still a magnificent film that has grown on me since seeing it a decade ago for the first time.
most underrated: Naked lunch. Clever and deliriously funny- it’s a brilliant adaptation of Burroughs yet stands on its own and is obstinately Cronenbergian (thank god). It should certainly be in the top 1000 of all-time (which it isn’t for the TSPDT consensus). It’s #364 for me.
gem I want to spotlight: The Fly. Pop-art at its finest, a horror/sci-fi representation and meditation on AIDS. Any way you slice it this is an absolutely absorbing film.
stylistic innovations/traits: Cerebral, cold and destabilizing. Cronenberg is much more than just “Dave Deprave” (Scorsese’s nickname for him) and the inventor of “body horror”. As a stylist his work varies. Crash is immaculately edited (those shots in the car showing discomfort and obsession). A History of Violence starts with a breathtaking tracking shot. As much as I like his collaborations with Viggo—his best work was from 1983-1996 there’s a definite dark/sterile lighting/mise-en/scene combination (dark blues, greys and blacks) that is distinctly Cronenberg. Clear architecture as character in Spider. Thematically the body mutation is in almost every film. In some the transformation is closer to a baptism (Viggo’s work), rebirth or evolution—– heady stuff.
top 10
- Dead Ringers
- Crash
- A History of Violence
- Naked Lunch
- The Fly
- Videodrome
- Eastern Promises
- Spider
- Scanners
- The Dead Zone
By year and grades
| 1975- Shivers | R |
| 1977- Rabid | R |
| 1979- The Brood | R |
| 1981- Scanners | R |
| 1983- The Dead Zone | R |
| 1983- Videodrome | MS |
| 1986- The Fly | MS |
| 1988- Dead Ringers | MP |
| 1991- Naked Lunch | MS |
| 1996- Crash | MP |
| 1999- Existenz | R |
| 2002- Spider | HR |
| 2005- A History of Violence | MP |
| 2007- Eastern Promises | HR |
| 2011- A Dangerous Method | R |
| 2014- Maps to the Stars | R |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
Dead Ringers (1988)
Notes:
Starts with opening credits over solid red frame, white images of various medical tools and two people who look like twins
Toronto Canada setting, two young twin boys with thick glasses talking about sex
4:45 Cambridge MA 1967, Jeremy Irons playing identical twins wearing white lab coats, Elliot and Beverly Mantle in medical school
6:48 setting changes to Toronto Canada 1988 where the twins are now successful gynecologists who jointly operate a successful clinical practice in Toronto that specializes in treating fertility problems
7 min white and blue tint
9:54 shallow focus
11 min surveillance angle inside apartment of the twins who live together
Geneviève Bujold plays an actress named Claire who discovers she will never be able to get pregnant
19:50 blue tint, Beverly sleeping with Claire
22:25 over the shoulder shot, Elliot wearing bright red shirt which stands out in contrast to blue/white tint throughout apartment, it is revealed that Elliot sleeps with women he meets as patients and when he gets tired of it, the more passive Beverly takes his place and the women do not realize they are sleeping with two different men
24:26 great composition with doctors in bright red lab coats are performing surgery in background of left side of the frame while Elliot stands in middle of the frame speaki1:ng to a group of people in foreground, Elliots reflection is clear in background behind him through glass door
31 min Claire starting to get suspicious with the alternating personalities, from her perspective, not realizing they are twins
37 min Claire has a sit down with both brothers after discovering they are twins
38 min characters shot one at a time, isolated in frame
40:30 interesting frame
40:50 low angle shot with deep focus on background
44:36 lunch with beautiful paintings in background, the twins talk after the disastrous event
50 min disturbing dream sequence before waking up in blue lit apartment
51:17 a rare long shot as Elliot stands in front of class he is teaching
52:56 bright red lab coat
59:13 daylight seeping into dark building
1:02:30 Beverly complete meltdown, calling Claire’s “boyfriend” (later revealed to be her assistant) and taunting him and then observed by patient while he is clearly strung out on drugs
1:08:00 “In the Still of the Night”
1:09:05 stunning shot through curtains, blue/gray
1:15:00 Beverly falling apart
1:16:45 sketching of medical tools resembling the drawings during the opening credits with the white outlines over the solid red screen
1:20:24 great blocking in this shot of Beverly and 3 other doctors in their red lab coats with a blue/gray filling out the background of the frame
1:21:31 Beverly on left side of frame sitting across the table from 3 officials, this shot has a gray/blue palette similar to the rest of the film but with silver in mise en scene as well with the medical instruments on the table
1:22:58 canted angle demonstrating the altering dynamic of the twin’s relationship which at this point was strayed far away from the film’s opening
1:25:10 Elliot cares for Beverly who has completely fallen apart by this point in the film
1:27:38 Elliot starts taking drugs in order to “synchronize” their minds
1:29:30 “we are perceived as one person” Elliot cannot accept a life without his brother
1:32:25 extreme close up
1:35:00 breaks into art museum upon observing the medical equipment that he gave to the artist earlier
1:38:00 door as frame
1:41:39 the twins sit in their apartment, with everything is disarray
1:42:46 the twins celebrate their “birthday” after Beverly says happy birthday although Elliot points out it is not actually their birthday, none the less they eat cake together and drink orange pop (which is Canadian for soda)
1:47:47 the following morning with the apartment in shambles
The ending is depressing but one living without the other would probably have been more depressing
Thoughts:
Cronenberg best film to date and like The Fly (1986) there is a clear upgrade in production quality from his earlier films which had interesting
Cronenberg’s work is so disturbing that it seems impossible to call his work “beautiful” but there is no denying the chilling impact of his work from a visual perspective. Much of the film is shot in blue/gray/silver. Red is used effectively as a contrast to this environment, in particular the bright red lab coats
Cronenberg is often described as “cerebral and visceral” and this is no exception, in fact this may be the ultimate example of this; this is endlessly fascinating from a psychological standpoint but also gut exhilarating and gut wrenching watching the brothers try and ultimately fail to return to the status quo that is established early on. The film plays out like a sort of twisted experiment on human dependency. We are “perceived as one person” Elliot says near the end of the film to a girlfriend who cannot understand their co-dependency
Jeremy Irons gives a truly special performance here, two actually, several of the reviews I have read mentioned Jekyll/Hyde, a reference to the 1886 novel later turned into a film, actually multiple films but the most acclaimed of these seems to be the 1931 version which I am excited to check out
Geneviève Bujold is also fantastic here playing Claire, who is shocked and dismayed to discover she has been sleeping with both of the brothers. She continues to see Beverly and truly cares for him, it’s an impressively vulnerable performance at times. The very premise of the film can almost sound like a romantic comedy and while it’s certainly not that but as disturbing as it all is there actually some humor, dark humor of course
There are some really impressive compositions which I do think are necessary Cronenberg’s best trait from what I have seen of his work so far. The use of color in maintaining the atmosphere is really effective and I love the opening credits sequence
Verdict: MP
The Fly (1986)
Notes:
Starts with vivid use of neon color in title credits
2 min segues into high angle shot capturing convention
2:08 Jeff Goldblum and Genna Davis are introduced one at a time within frame
2:43 double profile shot captures both in same frame
4:30 inside lab, shades of blue and gray dominate lab
9:01 low angle shot with Davis in frame surrounded by hazy blue/gray tint
15:42 noticeable contrast to the blue/gray shades in lab with beige tint inside Davis apartment
16:04 silhouette image in hallway
18:32 back in the lab
18:48 zoom in on machine
19:15 Goldblum’s head taking up half the frame with white light making glass of machine opaque
19:31 low angle two shot from POV inside machine
19:55 camera zooming in on Goldblum is actually Davis’s character who is recording the experiment, it’s a nice bit of deception from Cronenberg
22:35 Davis makes her move on Goldblum’s character followed by dissolve edit and camera floating around apartment to capturing the 2 leads in bed
28:55 nice blocking with David and Goldblum on opposite sides of frame in foreground with machine in background center of frame and smoke/mist pervading into the lab
31:43 nice low angle shot of office building at night, use of blue here is Michael Mann like
34:52 fly in center of frame
35:08 close up on fly on inside glass window
41:11 creative framing of Davis
41:52 low angle shot with close up on Goldblum as he discovers superpowers with his insane strength looking like a world class gymnast
43:13 two-shot surrounded by blue light
44 min close up on hands putting massive amounts of sugar as Goldblum talks at frantic pace
45:38 zoom in on Goldblum
46:09 close up on black hairs coming out of back
48:54 deep focus
49:30 neon colored lights in bar
51:10 brutal bar scene
53 min slow zoom reaction shot
1:01:24 excellent use of extreme close up on Goldblum’s eyes when he discovers what has happened
1:03:00 counterclockwise pan upon entering apartment
1:05:30 Cronenberg does not hold back with gross out special effects
1:07:44 high angle shot
1:08:00 Cronenberg with disorienting shot with Goldblum upside down walking along the ceiling
1:13:15 horrifying dream
1:19:39 overhead shot
1:25:30 Cronenberg not afraid to go as gross as possible
1:26:19 low angle shot over shoulder
1:26:40 Cronenberg avoiding two-shots instead alternating
1:30:46 flashing white light
1:31:44 blue and white flashes of light create silhouette
1:32:44 mercy kill
Thoughts:
Cronenberg with maybe his best yet, this and Videodrome are close
Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis are both great here, apparently a real life couple at the time
Body horror in general focuses on conflicts between the coexistence of the body and mind. Goldblum was ideal for this role which required a male that did not exude sex appeal as Goldblum’s character Seth is a bit nerdy. There is a joke about how he wears the same clothes every day, apparently Albert Einstein did this. Over the course of the film Seth begins testing the limits of his new body after the accident, discovering he has the abilities of a world class gymnast and then arm wrestling champion. He also discovers that he has unlimited sexual stamina and is consuming ridiculous amounts of sugar and caffeine
I have noticed an interesting trend with Cronenberg in that he seems to avoid two shots in many situations and prefers to instead shoot conversations between two characters who are very close to each other by alternating with shots back and forth, so each character is isolated in the frame
At 96 minutes the film tells its story efficiently, wasting no time as Goldblum and Davis meet at a convention of sorts in the opening scene and are already inside the lab before the film’s 5 minute mark. There are no real distractions from the main story, there is Geena Davis’s character dealing with her creep of a boss, who she was previously involved with and even that probably does not constitute a side plot
The film is often interpreted as an allegory related to disease, fitting into Cronenberg’s fascination with human biology and mutations. In a way the film could probably even be viewed as an accelerated human lifespan. Afterall a human body does change over time and decay resulting inevitably with death, a disease can dramatically accelerate this natural life process so that is another possible interpretation
The costume work is quite effective, there is some seriously gross imagery which is hard to look at but that is intentional
Cronenberg uses reaction shots well showing the Davis character dealing with increasingly shocking revelations. There is a great extreme close up on Goldblum’s eyes when he figures out what happened when he got out of the machine
Verdict: MS
@James Trapp – well done- very hard to not talk about AIDS or HIV and The Fly in the 1980s
@Drake – yeah, I got this from Cronenberg’s Wiki Page
“If you, or your lover, has AIDS, you watch that film and of course you’ll see AIDS in it, but you don’t have to have that experience to respond emotionally to the movie and I think that’s really its power. This is not to say that AIDS didn’t have an incredible impact on everyone and, of course, after a certain point, people were seeing AIDS stories everywhere, so I don’t take any offense that people see that in my movie. For me though, there was something about The Fly story that was much more universal: aging and death—something all of us have to deal with”
so yeah it seems like even if that was not his specific intention that is how many interpreted it
Videodrome (1983)
Notes:
Starts with TV show within the film and zoom out to make us aware
James Woods as Max, a TV executive looking for something different for their customers, and believes the public wants something with sex and violence that none of the other stations can offer
4:35 blue and red dominate mise en scene
5:08 triangle composition with Max in background, he is clearly the most powerful of the 3 in this scene
5:50 camera pan through area with large buildings
7:54 capturing Max and his colleagues watching a low quality program with tasteless violence and degradation
9:44 Max interviewed on television program about the station he works for
10:18 intense red dress worn by Nicki Brand (played by lead singer of Blondie Debbie Harry)
10:48 Max Renn makes a move on the gorgeous Nicki
11:50 characters isolated in frame
13:27 Nicki in pink and blue clothing
14 min quick transition from work studio to Nicki inside Max Renn’s dimly lit apartment
14:40 Max and Nicki watching low quality film called “Videodrome” torture
15:10 dark red lighting as Nicki talks about violence, clearly, she has masochistic desires
16:02 camera hovering over Max and Nicki lying naked with similar but more intense red lighting from scene before
18:08 slow zoom out on sex session, black and red colors dominate frame
23:27 blue lighting
30 min high detail in mise en scene with statue, books, paintings
31:33 pan counterclockwise while Max watches TV in
33 min first sign of Max mental wellbeing, 3 shots in quick succession of Max hitting Nicki but revealed to be Bianca
37 min Nicki shows up on Max’s TV
52:55 Nicki in red lighting
53:35 Max whipping the TV in the same red lit room with black padding from their sex session earlier
54:23 Max awakes to blue lit apartment
1:03:22 disturbing imagery with Max getting video tape inserted into stomach
1:04:46 gun melting in Max hand
1:07:22 blood splatter over the top
1:10:17 Max’s face covered by shadow
1:11:47 hand holding the “flesh gun” comes out of TV while Max continues to lose his mind
1:13:00 “death to Videodrome, long live the new flesh
1:18:20 tracking shot as Max enters theatre with vivid color clothing worn by dancers
1:20:37 brutality graphic image of body ripped apart from the inside out, eyes popping out
1:23:44 Nicki on TV taking up entire frame, speaking to Max from inside the TV
Thoughts:
Finally! Cronenberg’s work up to this point has been solid, but this is where he is really hitting his stride. This was his first film that was distributed by a major Hollywood studio, MCA/Universal. The final output was actually less graphically violent and disturbing than his early cuts before some major revisions including the name which originally was “Network of Blood”. Apparently, the initial viewings were highly polarizing
James Woods is great here, he plays his character with a sort of dangerous curiosity, he is trying to push boundaries, he is a bachelor and adventurous in his professional and person life and gets himself in increasingly frightening situations as the line between reality and fantasy blurs
The special effects are impressively disturbing, in particular the mutations to Max’s body, this is accentuated by Howard Shore’s disturbing score which is used in various spurts quite effectively
The red and black interiors reminded me of Lost Highway (1997) and similar to Lost Highway, the line between reality and fantasy becomes increasingly blurred. However, unlike a David Lynch film, this is not really surrealism but more so social satire
The most memorable use of the red and black is the set for “Videodrome” within the movie, that sounds kind of confusing I know; the set for “Videodrome” within the film “Videodrome” this is where Max and Nicki have sex on the black clay like rug. The room also features the TV Set showing torture
There are certainly multiple interpretations, but I think there is a straightforward interpretation of cause and effect between stimulants via sex and violence and the impact on a person’s actions; this is not necessarily meant to be preachy but rather it highlights Cronenberg’s fascination with the connection between the human mind and body. Really this is the essence of the entire body horror genre
Verdict: MS
@James Trapp- a big step for Cronenberg for sure
The Dead Zone (1983)
Notes:
Starts with shot of Christopher Walken playing John, a schoolteacher engaged to another teacher named Sarah played by Brooke Adams
4:24 rollercoaster with disorientating POV
7 min gray and blue impact mood
7:34 beautiful shot of car driving toward camera in fog/mist
13 min John awakes from coma after 5 years
14:40 strong acting from Walken
16 min terrifying imagery of burning house after nurse touches John’s hand leading to nurse alerting authorities just in time
23:14 reunion with Sarah
39 min Sarah with red shirt, stands out with blue and grays most of film so far, leading to intimate sequence not actually shown
42:55 slow zoom on John’s face with blue tint as he watches news report about serial killer
43:48 best shot so far with high angle shot as John, Sheriff, and Sheriff’s deputy move as silhouette images through a tunnel
46:36 red blanket covers dead body, red standing out again
48:28 gazebo scene is well shot with John inserted into memory of serial killer revealed as Deputy Frank Dodd
52:36 close up shots on faces, green lighting as John and Deputy make way up the stairs
55:48 frame split with staircase
57:16 John moves to another town
1:05:00 Martin Sheen as Greg Stillson, a local man running for office
1:17:11 horrifying images of young boys falling through ice
1:21:24 John’s prediction comes true sadly, pan across room as Stuart sits in chair
1:23:40 nice pan as John walks across street with red, white, and blue throughout mise en scene, with political signs
1:25:48 triangle composition
1:27:45 half of Stillson’s face covered in shadow
1:29:58 film titled referenced
1:30:52 the “would you kill Hitler question”
1:31:53 low angle shot capturing John at slightly tilted angle
1:38:12 slow motion fall
1:39:00 impressive framing and blocking
Thoughts:
Very impressive performance from Christopher Walken, it’s complex, he is bitter and miserable in many of the scenes but you still feel for him, not clearly likeable or unlikeable
Gazebo scene is well shot with John inserted into the memory watching the serial killer who is revealed to be Deputy Frank Dodd, there is some nice camera movement keeping the audience from revealing the killer’s face
Hard to believe this film is just 4 years from Apocalypse Now, Martin Sheen looks 10-15 years older. The final sequence is well done particularly the framing and blocking during the political rally ending with John’s death
Verdict: R
Scanners (1981)
Notes:
2:14 tracking shot through mall focusing on 35 year old Mr. Vale, red mise en scene
3:22 slow zoom in on woman insulting Mr. Vale to her friend
7 min camera panning across row of adults watching Mr. Vale
8:37 dissolve edit as Mr. Vale continues being watched by group of sitting adults, distorted voices
10:45 medium close up on middle aged man in suit speaking to small group
11:46 high angle shot from back of small room, about 100 person theatre/classroom
13:19 middle aged man in suit’s head explodes followed by man responsible being taken away by armed men being injected with substance from doctor
15 min the man responsible for exploding the head of another man is referred to as a “scanner”
16:32 extreme close up on smiling scanner with gun pointed at his head
20:28 camera drops back capturing a boardroom for “ConSec” a private military company where Doctor Paul Ruth leads the discussion
23:23 a scanner is revealed to be a person with ESP, Doctor Paul Ruth, speaks with Mr. Vale from the opening scene in the Mall
25:56 black and white footage of a scanner being interviewed in some a facility
27:50 impressive composition with blue and black lighting in part of the frame, multiple depths of field
36 min camera pans down over disturbing art
36:30 close up shots
40 min low angle and high angle shots back and forth
41:20 nice pan along with window as frame
42:20 sound muted with montage of shooters
43:23 shooters shown one at time in frame with their heads shaking until their deaths
44:18 low angle shot of Mr. Vale following deaths of shooters around him
49:18 slow zoom accompanied by sinister score
53 min nice reverse tracking shot with car driving through city at night
57:11 close up on face of Vale as he uses powers on potential murderer
47:49 two shot at low angle
59:36 low angle shot with green lighting in background of frame
1:04:28 great overhead shot from helicopter with characters standing in circle over lawn
1:10:08 low and high angle shots alternating
1:11:55 Kim turns table
1:12:44 internal voices
1:23:10 montage of destruction with impressive editing
1:24:38 shot of quiet suburban neighborhood on a fall day after the destruction montage
1:26:46 intense red in wall of doctor’s office, noticeable in contrast to the rest of frame
1:28:24 camera pans up to exterior shot of facility
1:30:50 big reveal
1:35:20 slow zoom on Vale and Revok have battle in great scene where neither share the frame for several minutes
1:36:46 extreme close up
1:38:43 brutal aftermath
1:39:24 ends on extreme close up on eyes and fading bright light
Thoughts:
Cronenberg uses high and low angle shots frequently and often back and forth perhaps as a way of visually establishing character dynamics
The final scene is really impressive with Cronenberg alternating close up shots back and forth between Vale and Revok while keeping them isolated within the frame
The exploding head scene about 15 minutes into the film is a standout image, probably the most memorable from the film
Michael Ironside gives the most impressive performance although the acting is not particularly great
The audio is impressive as sound is muted several times bringing a heightened awareness of the characters while they are using supernatural powers
Verdict: R/HR
@James Trapp – very excited to follow this Cronenberg study of yours- keep it up
@Drake – thank you, nice work on the 1000 films, I had some thoughts I’ll post on that page soon
The Brood (1979)
Notes:
Starts with medium shot of two men sitting across from each as father scold’s son’s lack of sufficient masculinity
2:15 camera drops back and reveals an audience with the two men sitting on a stage, camera moving 360 clockwise
Later revealed this is Psychotherapist Hal Raglan (played by Oliver Reed) who heads The Somafree Institute of Psychoplasmics where he treats people with issues caused by repressed emotions
4:57 symmetrical shot with two men opening doors at opposite ends of frame, red and brown dominate frames so far
11:52 surveillance high angle shot of playground at daughter’s school
Frank (played by Art Hindle) a man who has a wife is being treated by Hal Raglan
18 min camera set low and pan through the house into the kitchen and up the cupboard
18:43 high angle surveillance level shot
19:16 high angle surveillance level shot, followed by brutal attack
19:46 Psycho (1960) like score during murder scene as grandmother beat to death with blunt object
20:06 doorway frame
23:20 yellow/brown/beige mise en scene
27 min Nola Carveth as Frank’s wife who is in mental health facility
34:43 many low angle shots from Frank POV
44:32 overhead shot in narrow frame
47:49 again with Psycho like score during brutal murder sequence
49:35 evil dwarf wearing red coat is similar to Roeg’s Don’t Look Now (1973)
51:41 purple tinted screen
53:00 low angle shot in purple tint from the POV of parasite
1:02:53 nice frame in frame and low angle shot
1:10:10 bright colored coats, counter to weather and bleak mood
1:20:20 medium and close up shots throughout this sequence building tension, can’t see whom else is in the room
1:21:21 blurry image in background behind Raglan
1:23:55 Cronenberg is not for the faint of heart
1:24:36 close ups on Nola’s blood covered face
1:27:20 disturbing imagery as daughter screams backed up against the wall
1:31:00 ends with close up on daughter’s eyes
Thoughts:
Cronenberg wrote the screenplay for this film after going through a difficult divorce with the idea of a fracturing relationship serving as the films major theme
Shivers was very cold and detached, almost like watching an experiment play out while this film is a little different as much of it occurs though the perspective of Frank who is presented as a fairly regular decent guy who just wants to help his wife and daughter resulting in a higher level of emotional investment
Cronenberg is patient and delays shock scares by drawing out suspense
Don’t Look Now (1973) was made just 3 years prior so I wonder if it served as the inspiration for the look of the dwarfs as they resembled the woman in the red coat as well as the red coat worn by the daughter during her death scene in the opening
The score during a couple of the murder sequences resembled the score from Psycho (1960) complete with the use of a blunt instrument rather than sharp knife
Some nice camera pans including one that begins at a low position near the floor of the house and ends on the countertop in the kitchen
There are a number of high angle shots as if being under surveillance, but this doesn’t carry through the entire film
Verdict: R/HR
Shivers (1975)
Notes:
Starts with a series of still images of apartment complex, Starliner Towers, including ariel shots accompanied by a narrator with a near robotic voice
6:30 camera panning along exterior of apartment building
7:17 close up of stomach transitions to wide angle shot of man named Nicholas and his wife on opposite sides of frame
8:48 disturbing imagery, I am guessing this be a theme with Cronenberg
12:22 green lighting in parking garage followed by
18 min Nicholas unresponsive as score becoming increasingly eerie
23:42 overhead shot of blooded covered bathtub
24:10 extreme low angle shot
27:42 bright white walls in background
28:03 cutaway shot to red painted door then girl in doorway
32:05 low angle shot
33:47 maybe most beautiful shot so far, silhouette image on far left of frame, green light
35:08 nice doorway frame in frame
39 min phone call sequence lasts a couple of minutes, this uncinematic stretch is somewhat negated by presence of 3rd character who may be dangerous creating suspense
44 min silhouette shot of man walking through narrow hallway turned away from the camera
46:36 perhaps best shot of film so far, doorway frame with low angle shot of silhouette figure leaving green lit building
51:15 horizontal pan along building’s exterior with multiple colored lighting
52:53 slow zoom in on mother and daughter trapped in elevator as they are attacked
56:08 low angle shot of brutal attack
58 min low angle tracking shot
58:17 slow motion
1:01:15 POV shaky camera
1:05:40 disorienting editing during car crash
1:13:00 close up on stomach as parasite attacks doctor with rapid editing
1:17:38 all out attack, close ups shots and narrow space create claustrophobic atmosphere
1:20:20 peep hole shot
1:22:52 group of deranged people walking toward facility in swimming pool area
1:23:55 slow motion sequence in the pool
1:24:46 dissolve edit to exterior shot of building similar to opening
Thoughts:
The father of Body Horror David Cronenberg starts off career with Body Horror film, he actually has two previous 60 min films which probably makes them a bit too long to call shorts but too short to be a feature film so kind of in no man’s land
Interesting start in establishing the location of where most of the film takes place, an apartment complex presented as fairly ordinally, rather than any particular character, the narrator disappears after opening segment
The action centers around the residents of the complex, who become infecting by parasite that comes out of their stomach and causes increase sex drive, this is basic premise of body horror as people are haunted by interior rather than exterior threats like knife wielding Bogeyman
There is a clinical detachment that is maintained throughout the film, many of the rooms have all white background, almost like a laboratory. At times it feels like watching an experiment of sorts. This is further emphasized by a lack of a score and music for most of the film
Solid start for study, certainly much stronger films await but clearly the potential is evident as Cronenberg creates an eerie atmospheric horror film
Verdict: R
His next film “The Shrouds” will have Vincent Cassell and Lea Seydoux.
Brandon Cronenberg also has another film coming soon, “Infinity Pool” with Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth.
I wonder who will have the better movie.
@Harry – pretty cool stuff, a perhaps the start of a father/son rivalry…winner gets bragging rights at Thanksgiving Dinner
@Harry- Excited for both. Brandon’s looks like it’ll be ready much sooner- already in post production and I saw it received an NC-17 rating.
@Drake-Did you see Cronenberg’s new film Crimes of the Future? Is it achievable?
@Malith- I did, and yes, but certainly not one of his or 2022’s best
Shivers R
Rabid R
The Brood HR
Scanners R
The Dead Zone R
Videodrome HR
The Fly MS
Dead Ringers MS
Naked Lunch R
Crash MP
Existenz R
Spider HR
A History of Violence MP
Eastern Promises HR
A Dangerous Method R
Maps to the Stars R
Has anyone had the opportunity to watch Crimes of The Future?
80 on RT
65 on MC
@James Trapp- I should be getting to it and Top Gun early next week. Very excited for them both. Cronenberg especially has had some superb films underrated by the consensus initially. Videodrome has a 60 on metacritic, Naked Lunch a 67, Crash has a 50,
Have you been able to catch The Batman, The Northman, and Everything Everywhere All At Once yet? I was really impressed by all three, and was particularly blown away by the editing in EEAAO. The Batman will surely have some of the best lighting of the year (obviously a massive Fincher influence there) and The Northman felt very Revenant-inspired in those long takes navigating intensely choreographed battle scenes.
@DeclanG- I have- and I would agree with you here all the way through on the comments. I have a HR or better grade for all three right now.
@James Trapp – Finally got around to Crimes of the Future. Certainly more interesting than the average fare at the multiplex and unquestionably auteur cinema– but not among Cronenberg or 2022’s best.
I was not particulary a fan at all, but there’s so much to admire, a R I would say.
Has anyone been following the trailers for Crimes of The Future (coming in June)? Looks like a huge return to form
@Harry – I have not heard of it but Cronenberg and Viggo! I’m in.
@Harry- I have- looks very promising. Reviews should start coming in from Cannes in just a few weeks.
Is there any chance that you’ll upgrade Spider before your 2002 page? I feel it’s much more than a plain HR. Also Ralph Fiennes gives one of the performances of the year.
@MASH – No offense but I’ve seen Spider and it’s pretty inactive visually despite the incredible narrative structure and Fiennes’ excellent performance. I don’t think it’s any higher than Drake has it as, perhaps HR/MS but no more.
@Zane- that’s what I meant. I’m not saying that it’s a masterpiece. It’s a nice HR/MS leaning MS.
And I adore it’s visuals. It’s something unique and contributes to the overall structure and vision of Cronenberg.
@M*A*S*H- Unfortunately not. 2002 is coming today
Something I never see get brought up when praising Crash is Howard Shore’s soundtrack. I think the main theme is one of my favourites in general, very mesmerizing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF76uSQXOOA&ab_channel=wiredsphere
“The guitar sounds like a car being assembled.”
Howard Shore and Cronenberg in general are a really nice duo.
@Harry- Great point, very nice duo — looks like they are teaming back up next year for Crimes of the Future
Just watched a bunch of cronenberg this last week and i think in general, he is very underrated by many cinephiles, definitely alot more to his films than gore and exploding heada
I think i would probably have Rabid as a R/Hr. it had very good cinemtaography. Cool hallway shots throughout, as well as a shot that follows the motorcycle during the opening credits. Theres also a beautiful tracking shot infront of the main character as she walks along a neon lit street which has a carrie (1976) poster in the background (apparently cronenberg wanted spacek to play the main character of rabid). Nothing crazy but i think its slightly better than the rest of his films with a recomended rating. I also think his 70s films are very entertaining and underrated by critical consensus in general, though i wouldnt give any of then anything higher than a recomeneded, besides rabid as stated above.
Naked lunch was hilarious. Reminds me of inherent vice or the big lebowski in just how random it all is
Obviously cronenberg is known for body horror, but i think he has among the best opening and closing credit sequences ever. Not that thats too important to a films quality, but definitely worth note.
I wonder, what do you think the meaning of the Gasworks building in spider is? Maybe a reminder of the past? Not sure
Watching existenz tonight
[…] Cronenberg is currently listed as the 36th best director of all-time https://thecinemaarchives.com/2019/05/16/the-36th-best-director-of-all-time-david-cronenberg/ and Dead Ringers is his best film. Cronenberg’s modern day Jekyll and Hyde comes complete with […]
Finished my Cronenberg study today with Spider, definitely been one of my favorite directors to go through so far, had so much fun and enjoyed a lot except the 2010s work. Here’s my rankings
MP:
1. Dead Ringers
2. Eastern Promises
3. A History of Violence
MS:
4. The Fly
HR:
5. Videodrome
6. Crash
7. The Brood
8. The Dead Zone
9. Shivers
R/HR:
10. Spider
11. Naked Lunch
R:
12. M. Butterfly
13. eXistenZ
< R
14. Rabid
15 Scanners
16. Cosmopolis
17. A Dangerous Method
18. Maps to The Stars
I will try and rewatch Videodrome, Crash and Naked Lunch soon as well.
Nice job on going long with Cronenberg. Of course I disagree very strongly with a lot of your rankings here, especially on Naked Lunch but I still have to recognize the achievement.
I’ll use this as a spot to mention that (retrospectively of course, more than a year has now passed since I’ve seen them in early May 2020) A History of Violence has surpassed Videodrome on my Cronenberg list, but I should probably get to rewatching them one of these days. Eastern Promises as well (watched it a year ago now as well), I could be lowballing on that one, though since I share the ranking with Drake I won’t look back on it too much.
Appreciate that. I’m hoping Naked Lunch gets better on a rewatch, I enjoyed the top 3 here all a lot more on rewatches, in fact none of them were MPs first time around.
Eastern Promises has a great overarching story with a talented cast to go with it, nice use of colour (the reds in the restaurant), one of the best fight scenes .. I found a lot to appreciate with it.
Yeah I remember it surprisingly vividly actually, hell probably even more so than A History of Violence or Videodrome. I’m very excited to revisit it sometime.
@Harry- Wow- what a nice study here- great work!
Re-ranking of the top 5
Dead Ringers – MP
Crash – MP
A History of Viokence – MP
Eastern Promises – MP
Videodrome – MS
With The Fly in 6th.
Rewatched Crash tonight:
“Second watch.
Despised at Canne’s, especially by Coppola who was jury president that year. in 2021 we have Titane winning the Palme d’Or. On the flip side, it was in Scorsese’s top 10 of the 1990s.
I normally don’t think too highly of the cinematography in Cronenberg’s oeuvre, but incredible work from his frequent collaborator Peter Suschitzky. Reflections on the windows, lights on the highways that shine blue and red onto the windshield, and gorgeous orange during Kotoes’ final drive. Like in Cronenberg’s Spider, architecture in the background like a character, this time with the packed highways on Spader’s mind – he watches crippled from his balcony with binoculars like Jimmy Stewart in Rear Window.
I feel these are really difficult roles for the actors to pull off to make you feel threatened by this underground community but everyone is up for the challenge. I think I can say that Elios Koteas has the best performance in two of the 90’s biggest masterpieces. He is vile and sleazy, he looks like a ghoul or a zombie at points. scarred from his self-destructive lifestyle.
Howard Shore’s score is so hypnotic and elevates the atmosphere. The sharp guitars are the perfect fit for Cronenberg’s thrilling world.
Koteas leaving the car to photograph the car crash and get in the way of the paramedics reminds me of Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler.
Cronenberg makes the effective choice to cut from quiet dialogue scenes to the fast action in the cars.
Some of Cronenberg’s most unnerving content even without there being much attention body horror. The hole in the leg is quite disgusting though.
Like in A History of Violence I think this ends in a rebirth via destruction.
“Maybe the next one”
A masterpiece.”
My current Cronenberg ranking:
1. Dead Ringers – MP
2. Videodrome – MP
3. A History of Violence – MP
4. Naked Lunch – MS/MP
5. The Fly – MS
6. Eastern Promises – HR
@Zane- I love to see it. Naked lunch is wild… when do you watch Crash?
I can’t wait to see Crash, so hopefully in the very near future. I love me some Cronenberg and Naked Lunch has made me want some more very soon. It may be evolving into a full MP (though probably a relatively fringe one) with every second removed from the viewing. I also hope to get second looks at Videodrome and A History of Violence as well due to the time removed from first seeing them.
Well I just caught Crash. Here’s the list now:
1. Crash – MP
2. Dead Ringers – MP
3. Videodrome – MP
4. A History of Violence – MP
5. Naked Lunch – MP
6. The Fly – MS
7. Eastern Promises – HR
All things considered, I could put anything in his top 4 as the #1 upon a revisit. Every one of those films is absolutely brilliant and it wasn’t until the very final sequence of this film that I even put it above Dead Ringers.
I should note that throughout the first 6 Cronenberg films I’d seen, I did feel that the content was often “gross” for lack of a better term, but I was always more intrigued than disgusted, and I was interested in further exploration of the topics discussed in the film. Crash changed that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film that was so disgustingly unnerving and horrifying as this one in my entire life, save for maybe Saw (the James Wan film), and even then I think this one surpassed it (it’s also much better). Unlike a lot of gross-out films–like Saw, for that matter–that Crash could be compared to, I don’t think this film falls victim to its own depravity, but uses it to enhance its own power. It was mind-bendingly brilliant, and I feel it to be his most realized effort, but I don’t think I’ll be revisiting it for a long time.
I have one last question: which is worse (in terms of the content), this or Salò?
@Zane– Salo
@Zane – Watched Crash for the 1st time myself and I agree it’s not easiest watch but absolutely fascinating. It also has a magnificent score. It’s definitely a movie driven more by mood than by plot.
@James Trapp – Honestly Crash may enter the very edge of my top 100; I doubt it would go any higher than #90, and even then I don’t think it would be that high (though it is a brilliant MP). I agree with everything you’ve said here, it’s an extremely fascinating film and the score certainly elevates it. I think that’s a common trait with the greatest films of all time is that they’re almost universally driven by atmosphere, or mood here as you say. Not that they can’t have plots, but they wouldn’t be so great if they weren’t such powerful experiences while watching them.
Have you seen Requiem for a Dream, James? I think it’s even more brutal.
@Zane – I saw Requiem years ago and it was also a fascinating but brutal watch, especially the plot involving the older lady who dreams of making it to the gameshow. You’re right though, that has to be one of the 5 or so hardest films to watch
Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers or Daniel Day lewis in My Left Foot ????… Which is a better performance if forced to choose one.I find it very hard to choose one haha so would like to know your opinion.
@Adam- I’d say Irons here
I see. I would also like to ask you Are Jim Jarmusch films similar to Cronenberg,lynch etc??. I havent seen any of his films. Do they require multiple viewings to fully grasp???. I have no idea about his films. Would like to start so.
@Adam- I mean they’re contemporaries — some of the best directors of their era– but different. I have a page for Jarmusch here https://thecinemaarchives.com/2019/05/16/the-38th-best-director-of-all-time-jim-jarmusch/ – here’s the section on his style
stylistic innovations/traits: Jarmusch is one of cinema’s most dedicated formalists. His work involves controlled repetition, slight variations on that repetition, usually, inside of a rigid set structure. Much of his early work is easily numerically organized (3— Down by Law, Stranger Than Paradise, Mystery Train, 5- Night on Earth, Broken Flowers, 7- Days in Paterson). A Jarmuschian vibe is created by a measured rhythm in the scene (pauses and carries everything a beat long)—– while the skeleton of the film is formally so sound and distinct. Visual poetry—dilapidated and decrepit—a boarded up movie house, bars, graffiti of course in the mise-en-scene– another decaying hotel—but it’s art—pool halls, walking down the street. The narratives most often involve a fish out of water with language as a barrier. They’re often essentially plotless films, requiring patience and attention to detail to pick up his formal cues while his laid-back editing (heavy dissolves or longer elliptical transitions) works on you. Hipster cool. From Camby NYT “the excitement (of Down by Law) comes from the realization that we are seeing a true film maker at work, using film to create a narrative that couldn’t exist on the stage or the printed page of a novel”. He’s largely an urban filmmaker– garbage art- Wenders an influence. He told each scene a beat long- again I believe this is Akerman and Ozu’s influence. The editing a major achievement—it fades to black in many of his scenes.
Hii Drake
Can you give an explanation or analysis on why do you rank Dead ringers as best cronenberg film ??
@Chris – thank you for the comment and for visiting the site. Dead Ringers is not a film I have a page for (yet)- there are over 1500 individual film pages- but not this one. I will say say that Cronenberg is one director where the “best film” question has more than 1 right answer. On the top 1000 page Dead Ringers, Crash and A History of Violence are very close
https://thecinemaarchives.com/2023/10/17/thebest1000filmsofalltime/
Thoughts on M. Butterfly? I certainly think it has some of Cronenbergs best images (the mining quarry, the streets of China at night) and a great performance from Jeremy Irons and really everyone else involved. It’s only an R grade to me but it deserves to be mentioned in the archives I thought.
@Harry- I’ve only seen it once- which is certainly never enough for a film from a director like Cronenberg. I look forward to revisiting it.
You vastly underrate eXistenZ, one of his best 3 or 4 films, with rich philosophical themes, and overrate A History of Violence and Spider. It’s at times a very funny film, and worth mentioning in the same league as The Matrix. Also, The Brood should at least get a mention, along with the micro-budgeted Shivers, as ground-breakers in thoughtful explorations of the relationship between the mind and body. I really think that 1975-1999 was Cronenberg’s most vital period. And Cosmopolis is worthy of mention as a sort of comeback.
@Doug Mann- thanks for visiting the site and the comment. Anything else in eXistenZ? I’m going to need more than rich philosophical themes to make it in his top 3-4. Doesn’t sound like you think much of the Viggo collaborations. That’s too bad. I’m with the consensus on this one. Again though- thanks for the comment
Decided to give Dead Ringers another shot since you have it so close to the top 100 and as Cronenberg’s best film. Don’t know what happened with me and this film when I first watched it a couple months ago but it clearly didn’t happen this time; what an incredible film and I’ve come around to it being Cronenberg’s best (I still have to catch Crash and Naked Lunch) and Irons’ performance is just unbelievable. He might deserve a spot on the top 100 for this film alone but I haven’t seen too many of his other performances (aside from Kingdom of Heaven which I am planning to revisit this year) so I couldn’t say what would be his second best. Compare him to Casey Affleck, who is on there largely off 2 incredible performances and if it were just one he would be left off. Similar case to Dennis Hopper.
What about A Dangerous Method makes it a recommended movie? Apart from Knightley and Mortensen performances I didn’t think there was anything special about it compared to any other Cronenberg film.
@Harry– thanks for the comment. I’m hoping @Matt Harris catches the comment and can chime in. I know he found much to admire in Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method. I found enough to put it in the archives (for me, largely on the strength of the writing and acting– Fassbender is superb as well). I only have it as a recommend– sometimes certainly writing and acting is enough to get it into the archives at that level… currently it would not land in the top 25 of 2011
[…] 36. David Cronenberg […]
dead ringers is a top 100 film at least
@m — I don’t have a problem with that. It is marvelous. I have it at #125 but that’s close and I’m not sure how many of the 124 ahead of it you’ve seen.