Morbid Psychological Impetus

The Brood (David Cronenberg, 1979)
** (worth seeing)


The Brood (1979), written and directed by David Cronenberg, deals with a father’s, Frank Carveth (Art Hindle), attempt to get a restraining order on his dementia induced wife Nola (Samantha Eggar) who is currently getting therapy in Dr. Raglan (Oliver Reed) Soma Free Psychoplasmic Institution. On one of their daughters, Candice (Cindy Hinds), weekly visits to see Nola she receives ambiguous beatings and lashings. His goals change from restraining to protecting as possessed brood’s start murdering the individuals that are looking after her. The brood’s vicious attacks and the instituted patients abnormalities elicit tension and queasiness and are meditations on body horror and the vulnerability of flesh. A recurring theme in the films of David Cronenberg.This is a good contemporary horror film with many interesting qualities except for an embarrassing Psycho stabbing rip-off and Howard Shore's mimicking Bernard Hermann musical score.

The Canadian film articulates national identity as the story unfolds in winter and markers include snowy, oak-tree encapsulated, cottage-country landscapes with the characters in respective winter-wear. As well subtle references to Halifax, Vancouver and Toronto. The characters in the film are everyday people and through psychoplasmic intervention and intimate conversations repressed psychological and physical traumas are revealed with an emphasis on their devastating adaptability consequences. (The Mayfair Theatre, 1074 Bank Street, Saturday, May 30th, 11:15PM)-David Davidson