David Cronenberg’s Knack

Paper by Phill Hunziker.

David Cronenberg’s earlier films have a distinct aspect to them that distinguishes them from most films; their gory aesthetics. While people can try to lump them in with other B-movie titles, his films are above those in that the way the gory scenes are captured creates social and emotional layers that the others simply do not possess. His films contain commentary on AIDS, as well as other issues like technology and government power. The gory scenes are more than just shock value, rather they contain an incomparable level of suspense, emotional pull and an epic feel that is so over-the-top that it almost feels like the fourth wall is being destroyed. Cronenberg’s style and technique is what makes his films so distinguishable in these ways.

One of Cronenberg’s most iconic scenes is the head explosion from Scanners (1981). This scene is literally mind-blowing as both the sound and sight of the explosion shocks the senses and then lingers in the mind afterward. The concept of an exploding head was nothing really new at the time and has since been apparent in many films. It could be the intense build-up, unexpectedness, campiness or the straight-up blood fest that ensues that makes this such an iconic scene. While the money should go on the last of those, it is important to note that it is not as simple as just blood and death making a film-viewing audience erupt. Just think about your own head literally exploding. The idea that a space that once contained all of your thoughts, hopes, dreams and ideas could be splattered all over the room in a bloody mess. It is, ironically, thought-provoking. It goes beyond the fear of death, as death by natural causes, disease or even by gunfire is less terrifying that death by cranial explosion. Instead of delving into the psychological factors dealing with the fear of death, exploring how Cronenberg’s style in indulging in gross bodily transformation is more applicable. It is not just about the fact that the guy’s head unexpectedly explodes but it is how it does. 

Camp special effects have the ability to either make your film a classic or an epic failure. They also have the ability to make a scene hilariously absurd, awkwardly pathetic or surprisingly cringe-inducing. While many scenes from The Fly border mostly on the last one (although those effects could be deemed far less campy), the head explosion scene seems to be a combination of all three. The slow intense buildup that highlights the essential rising “scanning” sound creates both a sci-fi and horror feel; like something otherworldly and scary is going to happen. There is also an underlying non-diegetic shuddering sound that sounds very similar to the Predator’s sound (note the date of the first Predator (McTiernan, 1987) as it is not a copycat). The camera also shifts from Revok to the other scanner to the full audience to specific characters in the audience then back to the scanners via an irregular cycle. It can also be noted that the colors on the stage and those of the costumes of the scanners are all bleak cold colors (blue, black, gray, etc.), while the chairs in the audience are a very bright red. This changes though when the man’s head explodes, thus covering the once colorless stage with a heavy dose of bright red blood. There is also the acting of the two scanners that each go along with the non-diegetic sounds. Revok’s contorted facial expressions go right along with the aforementioned shuddering, as the other’ scanner’s intense twitching and panicking goes with the rising ear piercing sound. Everything obviously leads up to the bloody explosion that send flesh flying everywhere to the tune of a bomb followed by the squishiness of scattering blood and flesh. The whole scene is a masterpiece, one that is not simply just exploding someone’s head. There are numerous variables that are meticulously crafted to create this classic scene. This sets Cronenberg’s films apart from other 70’s and 80’s B-movie filmmakers. He made the best due with the low budget, minimal resources and par-at-best actors (although Scanners had his largest budget up to that point). 

The final showdown in Scanners goes so over the top with its flesh and blood focus that it is actually difficult to watch, particularly because of its highlighting of veins. Veins and tendons seem to have a giant impact on a viewers squeamish level (especially myself). This scene is visceral due to the rising non diegetic score that creates a tone similar to the aforementioned scene while also having the feel of a final showdown. The way blood squirts out of Vale’s face and arms is cringe-worthy, but because of the score, it never seems that his character is going to lose. There is a sense of remaining hope even though all is seemingly lost. But back to the veins; for whatever reason, the idea of veins bursting is frightening beyond belief. Blood squirting out of the body in small amounts is amounts is more feint-worthy than a massive amount, I’d say. This scene perpetuates that idea.

The idea and distortion of flesh is a staple of most of Cronenberg’s 70’s, 80’s and some of his 90’s work. The scene mentioned above certainly resembles that, but it is just the tip of the iceberg. The Fly literally discusses the idea of flesh, then proceeds to have the main character’s flesh slowly fall right of of him. The transformation from Seth Brundle into Brundlefly is both a physical and psychological one, as both feed off each other. His physical changes coincide with the mental and psychological ones, both amplifying each other. The way Cronenberg captures the transformation is what makes the film ever-watchable, preventing it from falling to technology advancements and hindsight. The effects, as astounding as they were at the time, lose their luster over time. When that happens, acting, dialogue, underlying themes, sound and camerawork are all highlighted and are more susceptible to scrutiny. This film, however, remains a classic based on the way Cronenberg and his team use the physical transformation as more than just shock value. While the scenes of Jeff Goldblum doing disgusting fly things are still revolting (particularly thanks to the nausea-inducing vomit sounds), the underlying fixtures  are what sound out. Brundle’s demise is drawn out and gross, but it is ultimately heart wrenching. Over time the film becomes less of a horror flick and more of a great tragedy. The way his deterioration is captured as far more influential to that than the deterioration itself. The film’s music and both non-diegetic and diegetic sounds, much like the rest of his films in the is time period, dictate both the flow of the film and the ultimate impact of each scene. Take the final scene, for example, after Brundlefly melts Stathis’s hand and foot (melting flesh is another constant), goes into to the telexed and is combined with the pod, the music is what paces the entire thing. When Brudlefly-telepod-thing emerges from the pod, it silently pleads for a mercy kill. His head is blown off by Veronica via shotgun and the film ends. This already depressing plot is amplified by the overwhelming score that not only adds to the shock but adds a layer of sadness to the scene. As this film, specifically the later half, has been studied as a metaphor for the tragedy of the AIDS epidemic, the usage of music to create an depressing tone adds yet another emotional layer to the film. While an article in StarLog, as elaborated on by ____, discusses how “Cronenberg’s startling and scary handling of Brundle’s affliction as if it were a terrible disease”, the film goes deeper than that as it touches on the human emotion involved. This isn’t simply just an epic horror show, or a demise simply brought onto Brundle by himself (as many bigots had suggested of homosexuals with AIDS at the time), but a deeply depressing tragedy that involves hundreds of factors and destroys the lives of everybody involved. There’s more to Cronenberg’s earlier films than excessive gore, as the techniques at his disposal are used to set unique tones and touch on important culturally relevant themes.

Bodily functions are both fascinating and absolutely disgusting. Both saliva and mucus serve such an important purpose in for our bodies, but we humans are naturally grossed out by them. Blood, arguably as essential to our sustained life as water, is more associated with death than life and can cause people to pass out just at the site of it. Our skin is a beautiful organ that covers our body, is what others view us as and serves a million other purposes. However. when it is sliced, wrinkled, infected, burnt, bruised, etc., it becomes ugly, sickening, painful and fear-inducing. People take these things for granted just because, when presented in an undesirable fashion, they make people squeamish and disinterested, causing them to forget/devalue the importance of these bodily functions and parts. So, it is fantastic to have a director who puts so much effort into capturing some of the most grotesque, cringe-inducing scenes filled with blood, gore and melting skin. David Cronenberg’s reasons for creating such grotesque films may not be in line with the aforementioned disrespect, but his knack for exploiting people’s fear of bodily fluids, transformation and the body itself sure does make a mark.

The way Cronenberg’s films can entertain, shock, confuse, gross out, touch viewers emotionally and ultimately make a cultural statement is a testament to his directing ability. His films touch on AIDS, technological dangers, men playing god, government control and many other important issues. It is his knack for capturing over the top gore and flesh distortion that successfully comments on these issues. His films contain unforgettable scenes that linger on, causing the viewers to think about them and decipher then underlying meaning. His early iconic style is what makes that all possible.

Work Cited

-Mathijs, Ernest. “AIDS References in the Critical Reception of David Cronenberg: “It May Not Be Such a Bad Disease after All”.” Cinema Journal 42.4 (2003): 29-45. Web. 05 May 2015.