The Fly can be
held in high regards for two very important reasons. One: it is a remake that
is actually an appreciable enhancement of the original. The Fly first debuted in 1958, directed by Kurt Neumann as an
adaptation of the short story of the same name. If you’re not confused about
any of this yet, you will be after I say that the original 1958 movie spawned
two sequels and this 1986 film which
has a sequel of its own. Not only that, but there was also talks of a third
remake, but to my knowledge, those plans have since been discarded. Granted
I’ve only seen the original and this remake, I can’t make any definite
conclusions, but I think it’s safe to say that this is the definitive version
(we all know how horror sequels tend to work out). The second reason this movie
hits its mark well is that it doesn’t try to sell itself with excessive gore.
It’s the concept here that’s truly frightening.
The Fly deals with
a concept that has often been speculated upon in the field of science: transportation
– teleportation, specifically. The protagonist, scientist Seth Brundle (Jeff
Goldblum), has spent the last six years of his career developing a means of
teleporting objects. Goldblum does an excellent job of portraying the
“eccentric/mad scientist” stereotype. Well, I say stereotype, but that’s not
quite what it is. The film makes it evident that that’s the character model he
is based from, but he always fits the bill for being a human character, not
simply a cut-and-paste contrivance (think Jeffrey Comb’s interpretation of
Herbert West in Reanimator). For that
reason, you can become both engrossed in his madness and piteous when presented
with his flaws. Did I mention he does an incredibly accurate imitation of a
fly? His is the performance to look out for.
The other actors also hold their ground fairly well.
Essentially, the movie only has three characters. Everyone else is pretty much
just an extra, and it works surprisingly well. Veronica, played by Geena Davis,
is the love interest who does an excellent job of being a…love interest.
Regardless how deformed Seth becomes, she consistently supports him. She does,
of course, feel that what he’s done to himself is a bastardization of the human
form, but the love she develops never dissipates. To the very end, everything
she does is in his best interest. Borans, played by John Getz, is Veronica’s
former lover, and when things go awry with Brundle, he serves as her crutch
throughout the ordeal. It’s interesting how the movie can manage itself while
focusing on so few characters. I can barely recall anyone else who was
significant to the plot, yet everything worked out much better than bloated
movies (ie. The Expendables, not to
pick on an ensemble film).
What’s horrific about the film is the sparing use of gore.
There are a few bloody scenes, but it mostly relies on shock value from the
unexpected fusion between man and fly to serve as its pedestal for the horror
tag. Oh, spoiler. The fear of science becoming too powerful and inhumane for
people to handle. The fear of never knowing what to expect next, never knowing
how grotesque you may become; and the corresponding embrace of that
transformation. These ideas become more and more prominent as the third act of
the movie hits you. The most appalling aspects of this transformation and its
ramifications are kept off-screen, but the biggest of the consequences (which
I’ll do you the favor of not spoiling to help motivate you to go out and see this
movie) raises a good many questions. Honestly, the movie is more
thought-provoking that it is scary, but what sane man wouldn’t feel wary of a
man-fly? Or here’s a better question: what man could be so insane that a
complete transformation into something indistinguishable macabre would have no
bearing at all on his motivation to continue with the project that modified
him?
By the end of the movie, you’ll doubtlessly contemplate the
idea of fusion between man and beast, its benefits, and its disadvantages. The
movie doesn’t take itself too seriously (given the concept, that’s more than a
good thing) so it may not leave the strongest impression on you, but if you’re
a thinker, you’ll have much about the world of science to consider. The Fly paints a good picture of
forcible evolution. Regardless of the outcome, it neither condemns nor condones
it, leaving the viewer alone with their thoughts to consider the possibilities.
