Body is reality: tracing David Cronenberg’s history with body horror
David Cronenberg’s name is synonymous with body horror. There were examples of it in cinema prior to his arrival, like the Val Lewton picture Cat People (1942) or Ishiro Honda’s Matango (1963), both of which transformed the human body into something irregular. But the visual language that is now associated with body horror only comes into clear focus with Cronenberg.
In the time since Cronenberg made pictures like Shivers (1975),Rabid (1977),and The Fly (1986),body horror has become its own subsection of horror filmmaking, with examples like Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) and Ginger Snaps (2000) following in the footsteps of the great Canadian director. Cronenberg’s last genuine foray into the subgenre was 1999’s eXistenZ, which used video games as a foundation for ideas like umbilical USB cords. But with his latest feature, Crimes of the Future, he has once again stepped into the pulsating subgenre that he made famous.
Body horror seems to be on Cronenberg’s mind, and in the press notes for Crimes of the Future given to critics, the director states, “At this critical junction in human history, one wonders — can the human body evolve to solve problems we have created? Can the human body evolve a process to digest plastics and artificial materials not only as part of a solution to the climate crisis, but also, to grow, thrive, and survive?”Cronenberg’s application of body horror has always run parallel to technological concerns as an extension of the human body, and with Crimes of the Future, he is wondering if the human body is capable of growing new organs, new identities, and a radical new definition of what it means to have a body in perilous times.
Cronenberg’s reputation as a great filmmaker is pinned to body
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