Sci-Fi Horror at its best

Rating: 8/10 (20 January 2006)

David Cronenberg is up there with David Lynch as one of the top visual surrealist directors. Whilst The Fly is not a surreal like Eraserhead or Naked Lunch, it has its surreal moments and definitely crosses the boundaries in to shock cinema. Cronenberg is a director who has an obvious fascination with the grotesque there are not many more grotesque images than some shown here. The make up used on Jeff Goldblum is brilliant and changes very subtly during Brundle's transformation from man to Brundlefly. To witness the final stages of Brundlefly is particularly disturbing and Geena Davis' reactions mirror exactly how I felt when watching with disbelief. The visuals in this film, although slightly over the top, are fantastic and will never be forgotten. Cronenberg is fantastic as a director because rather than being concerned with making the film accessible, he cares more for making a good film and projecting his vision.
As well as being highly imaginative and impressive visually, The Fly has a great plot. The relationship between Goldblum and Davis is very touching and romantic. The relationship is written very effectively due to it being exaggerated to the point that the audience are prepared to believe that this woman will still love a genetically mutating man. The main plot of an inventor creating 'telepods' that accidentally become gene fusers gives the film its Sci-Fi element and the way Goldblum's character transforms after he goes through is very commendable. Whilst not the most thought provoking of plots, The Fly is intelligently written and does well to both entertain and shock.
Goldblum does fantastically in making the leap from an eccentric, somewhat childlike scientist to a mutant going crazy. He is perfect for this role in appearance, by voice and by him mannerisms. Jeff Goldblum makes Seth Brundle a unique character and definitely should be the role Goldblum is most proud of playing. Geena Davis is a great actress and does very well in this performance. Her ability at showing shock and disgust is very good but it is the more subtle parts involving her and Goldblum's character development where she really shines.
The dark mood of the film is greatly reflected by the atmosphere in the film. Most of the settings are very dark and there are not many characters in the film, helping the audience to focus on Goldblum and Davis. Howard Shore's score is extremely dramatic, slightly cliché but very well done. Cronenberg is an expert at creating moods and contrast. The contrast of a wonderful romance against all the grotesque imagery is very effective as it brings an element of reality to the film. There is also a sense of abruptness to the film; the abrupt ending reflects how quickly the fly's genes fused with Brundle's body. It is the subtle themes that really make this film standout.
A classic Sci-Fi Horror, The Fly is a great film and stands proud with many science fiction films of the 80s. The eighties is often mocked as a cultural phenomenon but with regards to this specific genre, the eighties was an immensely important decade. The Fly, along with Terminator, Aliens and The Thing went to great lengths to revolutionise the genre. Cronenberg does a fantastic job with this film. Of all of his more mainstream films, The Fly is his best effort yet.