Breaking Down David Cronenberg: Dead Ringers (1988)

David Cronenberg is known to be the most prominent representative of what is called Body Horror, a sub genre of horror that explores the fear of having the body and mind transformed, mutilated or infected. Each time you sit to watch a Cronenberg film, you know you are about to have your guts and your psyche revolted.

Cronenbreg’s films in one way or another always reflect on contemporary society and how technology changes the perception and the very definition of our own humanity. He will turn 70 on March 15, and we want to pay homage to one of the most original authors of our time by remembering 4 of his most representative films. We did Cosmopolis (2012),  eXistenZ (1999) and now we present what is  probably the best film of his career so far, the critically acclaimed Dead Ringers (1988).

Elliot (Age 9): You’ve heard about sex…
Beverly (Age 9): Sure I have.
Elliot (Age 9): Well I’ve discovered why sex is.
Beverly (Age 9): You have? Fantastic.
Elliot (Age 9): It’s because humans don’t live under water.

Before significant advancements in medicine in the 19th and 20th centuries, being buried alive was a real possibility. Many communities buried their dead with a system of ropes that lead from the inside of the coffin to a bell on the ground. This of course, with the intention that the poor lad could bring attention to himself in the uncomfortable case of revival.

If someone had a similar physical appearance to somebody already deceased, the look-alike was called a “Dead Ringer”

As you can see, there couldn’t be a more accurate title for this film. Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers portrays the story of identical twins Beverly and Eliot Mantle, as they go through a drug and sex induced downward spiral that leads to their ultimate psychological and physical collapse.

Dead Ringers (1988) Directed by David Cronenberg and Written by David Cronenberg and Norman Snider based on the Novel ´Twins´ by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. Original Music by Howard Shore. Cinematography by Peter Suschitzky.

Even from the movie’s opening credits, appropriately decorated with illustrations of surgical instruments and in-utero twins, you get the uneasy feeling this is not going to end well. The first 20 minutes of the film are comprised of short segments of the twin’s lives, from their infancy to their time at Cambridge Med School.

They have grown to become very successful gynecologists, focused in research and attending only wealthy patients. Surprisingly, the story is based on the real life twins Stewart and Cyril Marcus who practiced together in New York in the 70’s.

Beverly and Elliot are physically identical, dress similarly, and are so close they even live in the same apartment. But yet, they’re two very different individuals. The first thing that comes to mind to critics and film goers alike when talking about this film is Jeremy Iron’s performance as both twins. And well, it’s impossible not to. This is without a doubt one of the most impressive performances in the history of cinema. Irons chooses not to walk on safe ground portraying the twins as two opposite, contrasting characters. He goes the rough road instead. Irons differences the twins by slight gestures and subtle traits. To the people around them, they are almost indistinguishable at first glance. But as an audience, you begin to identify them clearly as the movie progresses and the story reveals their individual character.

Original Press Card.

I said in a prior review that eXistenZ was a cold film that suffered from a lack of character development. That’s something these two films don’t share.  Dead Ringers is all about character. We get to know the Mantle twins very well, uncomfortably well, to the point we understand their actions and really get to care for their fate. And believe me, they are not two very likable fellows. They have a pretty despicable behavior in fact.

“I’ve often thought that there should be beauty contests for the *insides* of bodies.”

The Mantle brothers do everything together. That includes sleeping with a variety of women, some of them their own patients. These two have sex separately with scores of women, but they make them believe they are sleeping with just one of the duo. They even have devised a nifty modus operandi for their angelical pastime. Elliot, the more confident of the pair, breaks the ice and seduces their conquests. When he has secured ground, he passes them along to the quieter, shy Beverly, and the cycle starts over again. Definitely not a couple of guys you’d introduce your sister to.

Their demise begins when they meet Claire Niveau, an unstable movie star played convincingly by Geneviève Bujold (Tightrope, The Moderns). Her inner fragility is not appealing to Elliot, whom considers her just a good catch, (A very good one indeed. She’s a movie star!) but Beverly does relate to her vulnerability and falls for her deeply. From that moment on, just like a domino stack, their whole world begins to crumble and fall, each step worse than the other.

Jeremy Irons, Genevieve Bujold and … Jeremy Irons.

Now, this is a very disturbing film, but not in the dimension Cronenberg had showed us in his prior work. The mutilation and transformation of the body is sure shown in full display here, but it’s the torture of the mind that makes this ride pretty uncomfortable. Howard Shore scores an impeccable complement to the torrid events, making a gentle and romantic sonic reading of the degradation we are watching on screen. Some avid Cronenberg fans will feel him restrained and pretentious, crying for critical respect. Some, like me, just find in Dead Ringers a more mature version of Cronenberg, one that has evolved into using more intricate and emotional material than ever before. All the characteristics of his prior work are present. The Freudian undertones, the gore, the fascination for the human body. The perversion of science. There’s even mutations! But if you’re looking for exploding heads and bloodsucking monsters, you will not find that in Dead Ringers and nor in his following works. This film marks a radical shift in Cronenberg’s career. From the 90’s on, he opened up to other genres and began to explore body horror in deeper, intricate ways.

The technical expertise in this is mesmerizing and will surprise you with the ingenuity and skill of the invisible VFX. Jeremy Irons plays both roles, but the shots seem as they were not designed around the limitations that this could imply. Both brothers are seen face on to the camera, hugging, looking each other in the eye, and in numerous situations so surprising that it can disconnect you from the story because it actually makes you think “How the hell did they do that?” They used here a motion control system very similar to the one used in the Star Wars and the Indiana Jones films. A computer is in charge of calculating the path of the camera to perform it identically as many times as you want. That, in conjunction with an elaborate and precise choreography, is what made possible the jaw dropping shots involving both twins on screen.

Everything in Dead Ringers has the polish of a great filmmaker. Long gone are the days of splatter. His wild energy, characteristic of his prior filmography, is exchanged by an extra dosage of emotional conflict and more substance. This is a beautiful work of a talented, unique and disturbed mind. Very recommended for a screening with serious friends in the mood for watching a great masterpiece. If you just want to eat popcorn and puke it later, as in a traditional horror movie, this is not the one for that.