The many faces of Brundelfly.
Our third David Cronenberg film for March is his 1986 remake of The Fly, and from the ominous opening line, “What am I working on? I’m working on something that will change the world and human life as we know it,” Cronenberg sets up his film as a Greek tragedy. Already the protagonist Seth Brundel, played expertly by Jeff Goldblum with all the trademark Goldblum quirks and ticks, expresses the kind of hubris the gods rarely let slide.
It’s easy to dismiss graphic horror films as gratuitous and unimportant, but The Fly is textbook Greek tragedy… that is if your textbook is Aristotle’s Poetics. In his Metaphysics, Aristotle wrote, “All men by nature desire knowledge.” But in “Genesis” of The Bible, it’s eating fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that gets Adam and Eve evicted. So why does man desire something so dangerous as knowledge? “Fear comes from wanting to know the future” is a Buddhist philosophy. Is the pursuit of knowledge always inherently evil? Can we temper it with nothing to make it acceptable to the higher powers governing our lives, whether those powers be gods, God, or Fate?
These questions, believe it or not, are all explored in The Fly. Let’s focus on Aristotelian definition of Tragedy: The downfall of a basically good person through some faulty choice or error in decision making that causes suffering of our hero and raises feelings of pity and fear in the audience.
These questions, believe it or not, are all explored in The Fly. Let’s focus on Aristotelian definition of Tragedy: The downfall of a basically good person through some faulty choice or error in decision making that causes suffering of our hero and raises feelings of pity and fear in the audience.
Though Seth Brundel opens with that hubristic opening declaration, he’s presented as an amiable, likeable, geeky, nerdy science guy. We like that he’s socially awkward when pathetically hitting on Veronica Quaife (Gina Davis) who is a journalist just trying to get a decent story from someone at the museum party. So what’s Brundel’s big mistake? It’s not just Hubris (we’ll get to what that means in a minute), it’s that he invented a machine that can teleport objects. His ultimate goal is, of course, to teleport people. Wow, moving instantly from one place to another sounds like…well…like something a Greek god would be able to do. Which brings us to…
HUBRIS
Think of HUBRIS as excessive pride, sort of thinking you’re better than the gods. In Athens, it was a crime to shame a victim in an effort to make yourself look better. Imagine if we had that law today. How would politicians ever get elected?
The structure of the film is straightforward. Very Greek. It doesn’t follow the unities; however, it doesn’t jump around in time either. As for Characters, Our protagonists is essentially a good guy. He’s polite and deferring when it comes to Veronica. Brundel’s demise comes as a direct result of his own actions. Very Greek, think Oedipus, think Agamemnon. Brundel is completely responsible for his own downfall.
Think of HUBRIS as excessive pride, sort of thinking you’re better than the gods. In Athens, it was a crime to shame a victim in an effort to make yourself look better. Imagine if we had that law today. How would politicians ever get elected?
The structure of the film is straightforward. Very Greek. It doesn’t follow the unities; however, it doesn’t jump around in time either. As for Characters, Our protagonists is essentially a good guy. He’s polite and deferring when it comes to Veronica. Brundel’s demise comes as a direct result of his own actions. Very Greek, think Oedipus, think Agamemnon. Brundel is completely responsible for his own downfall.
HAMARTIA
Think of HAMARTIA as a mistake or bad choice the protagonist makes that sets up all the trouble that is to follow. And by trouble I mean catastrophe. In the beginning, Brundel hasn’t successfully been able to transport organic objects through his telepods. He manages to work out that kink and sends a baboon though (the second one) apparently without problem. The first baboon was not so lucky. In a humorous moment Brundel even says to the second baboon, “I’m sorry I killed your brother.”
He tells Veronica that he should now send the baboon in for testing to make sure the process is completely safe. But when Veronica leaves under suspicious circumstances (her ex-boyfriend/boss calls her to come over) Brundel does what all men do…he starts imagining that she is also sleeping with her ex. He drinks and upsets himself more and more and in an act that can only be described as self-destructive, he makes the decision to teleport himself. That’s HAMARTIA in a nutshell, people. It’s from this one decision that everything else happens. Aristotle thought that a tragedy based on cause and effect was far superior to any other kind. And it’s this first domino set in motion that causes all the other’s to collapse leading to Brundel’s inevitable doom and punishment for his hubris.
Think of HAMARTIA as a mistake or bad choice the protagonist makes that sets up all the trouble that is to follow. And by trouble I mean catastrophe. In the beginning, Brundel hasn’t successfully been able to transport organic objects through his telepods. He manages to work out that kink and sends a baboon though (the second one) apparently without problem. The first baboon was not so lucky. In a humorous moment Brundel even says to the second baboon, “I’m sorry I killed your brother.”
He tells Veronica that he should now send the baboon in for testing to make sure the process is completely safe. But when Veronica leaves under suspicious circumstances (her ex-boyfriend/boss calls her to come over) Brundel does what all men do…he starts imagining that she is also sleeping with her ex. He drinks and upsets himself more and more and in an act that can only be described as self-destructive, he makes the decision to teleport himself. That’s HAMARTIA in a nutshell, people. It’s from this one decision that everything else happens. Aristotle thought that a tragedy based on cause and effect was far superior to any other kind. And it’s this first domino set in motion that causes all the other’s to collapse leading to Brundel’s inevitable doom and punishment for his hubris.
PERIPATEIA
PERIPETEIA is an action by the protagonist that changes the situation from one of security to one of vulnerability. One could argue that Brundel’s peripeteia comes at the very beginning when he decides to bring Veronica home to show off his new invention. That definitely sets things in motion. One could even argue that it’s his decision to create the telepods in the first place, but for me it’s when he gets buck naked in the telepod with that fly. Everything from that point on becomes a downward spiral of reverse evolution.
PERIPETEIA is an action by the protagonist that changes the situation from one of security to one of vulnerability. One could argue that Brundel’s peripeteia comes at the very beginning when he decides to bring Veronica home to show off his new invention. That definitely sets things in motion. One could even argue that it’s his decision to create the telepods in the first place, but for me it’s when he gets buck naked in the telepod with that fly. Everything from that point on becomes a downward spiral of reverse evolution.
ANAGNORISIS
This is the moment when the protagonist suddenly realizes he’s screwed the pooch, so to speak. In The Fly, it’s after Brundel makes the rash decision, after teleporting a baboon seemingly successfully before having it tested, to teleport himself. We see a fly go into the telepod with him creating some nice dramatic irony.
The result at first are literally transforming him in positive ways, increased strength and agility, increased metabolism, even increased sex drive. However, it also seems to be changing his personality from the amiable geek to an abusive alpha male that replaces Veronica for a random sex partner simply because she cannot keep up with his newfound appetite.
But things begin to take a turn for the worse physically for Brundel when he is looking in his bathroom mirror and he pulls out a few fingernails. This concerns him enough to go to his computer (in Greece this would be the oracle) for information at which time he finds out that a fly was also teleported along with him. His anagnorisis comes in one word – FUSION. That’s when Brundel becomes aware that his rash choice is about to bring his world crashing down around him.
This is the moment when the protagonist suddenly realizes he’s screwed the pooch, so to speak. In The Fly, it’s after Brundel makes the rash decision, after teleporting a baboon seemingly successfully before having it tested, to teleport himself. We see a fly go into the telepod with him creating some nice dramatic irony.
The result at first are literally transforming him in positive ways, increased strength and agility, increased metabolism, even increased sex drive. However, it also seems to be changing his personality from the amiable geek to an abusive alpha male that replaces Veronica for a random sex partner simply because she cannot keep up with his newfound appetite.
But things begin to take a turn for the worse physically for Brundel when he is looking in his bathroom mirror and he pulls out a few fingernails. This concerns him enough to go to his computer (in Greece this would be the oracle) for information at which time he finds out that a fly was also teleported along with him. His anagnorisis comes in one word – FUSION. That’s when Brundel becomes aware that his rash choice is about to bring his world crashing down around him.
CATHARSIS
This is a transformation of the audience through experiencing emotions of pity and fear thus leading to a purging of those emotions by an audience. In this film, we have a surrogate “audience” in Veronica. She is not only witness to Brundel’s demise, she is documentarian. In her wish to exploit his discovery for her own professional advancement, she makes a deal with Brundel to record the whole process. However, in doing so she becomes emotionally and physically involved with him. This is a necessary step in that it’s her emotional connection to him that evokes her pity when he begins transforming. Through her, we also become emotionally connected to Brundel even I his grotesque state of transformation. Even when he pulls out his teeth. Even when he vomits corrosive enzymes on his food…like a fly. Through Veronica, we pity him. We also fear him and fear for her.
This is a transformation of the audience through experiencing emotions of pity and fear thus leading to a purging of those emotions by an audience. In this film, we have a surrogate “audience” in Veronica. She is not only witness to Brundel’s demise, she is documentarian. In her wish to exploit his discovery for her own professional advancement, she makes a deal with Brundel to record the whole process. However, in doing so she becomes emotionally and physically involved with him. This is a necessary step in that it’s her emotional connection to him that evokes her pity when he begins transforming. Through her, we also become emotionally connected to Brundel even I his grotesque state of transformation. Even when he pulls out his teeth. Even when he vomits corrosive enzymes on his food…like a fly. Through Veronica, we pity him. We also fear him and fear for her.
Veronica’s fear comes when she realizes she is pregnant with Brundel’s baby conceived after he had teleported. In one of the most disturbing delivery scenes in cinema history, Veronica is convinced to get an abortion. At one point Brundel says to Veronica, “You’re afraid to be destroyed and recreated, aren’t you?” This is a universal fear shared by the viewing audience. Cronenberg is playing with us here. He’s trying show us the thrill of recreation…this is after all a remake of the original film (which was a version of a short story). The possibilities of recreation are endless. Yet, without some tempering, without some humility, the results are destined to be catastrophic.
Add to all this Veronica’s Boss as the Greek Chorus constantly warning her to be careful, to stay away from Brundel, and you’ve got a textbook…almost a template…of Greek Tragedy. Oh yeah, and the last element of a true Greek tragedy is SPECTACLE. Cronenberg delivers SPECTACLE in SPADES! It’s kind of what he does best!
Add to all this Veronica’s Boss as the Greek Chorus constantly warning her to be careful, to stay away from Brundel, and you’ve got a textbook…almost a template…of Greek Tragedy. Oh yeah, and the last element of a true Greek tragedy is SPECTACLE. Cronenberg delivers SPECTACLE in SPADES! It’s kind of what he does best!
To echo the tagline and one of the most quoted lines from the film:
Be afraid! Be very afraid!
Be afraid! Be very afraid!
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