The Brood Review

Written by: deadhorse13   

David Cronenberg is beyond a doubt one of the most prolific directors in the horror genre. His work has been coined ‘body horror’, referencing his exploration of people’s fear of disease and bodily transformation. Cronenberg’s films often deal with psychological dilemmas manifesting themselves in some kind of physical abnormality. These spectacular excursions always prove both powerful and thought provoking. The director has never shied away from the more horrible aspects of his visions either, counter balancing his complex narratives with graphic visuals to keep the tension on high. His 1979 offering The Brood uses the context of child abuse and parental dysfunction as the catalyst for this particular study of biological metamorphosis, or more appropriately, mutation.*

The Brood opens with a titillating scene that wets the appetite for the shudders to come. We are introduced to Dr. Hal Ranglan (the indomitable Oliver Reed), an unorthodox psychotherapist treating a patient with fraternal issues in front of an audience. Through role playing and hypnosis he encourages the subject to isolate and objectify the source of his trauma and “work through it”. When he finally asks to “show me your efforts”, the patient reveals welts and sores covering his entire torso. Ranglan coins this phenomenon “The Shape Of Rage”.*

We then meet Frank Carveth, a protective father who is raising his young daughter alone while his estranged wife Nola gets treatment at Ranglan’s clinic, The Institute of Psychoplasmics. To aid in her mother’s sessions their daughter Candy is allowed frequent visitation. When the innocent child returns from one visit battered and bruised, Mr. Carveth is none too pleased. He confronts the shrink and demands answers for his daughter’s obvious neglect. Ranglan arrogantly dismisses his concerns and prevents any personal contact with Nola, insisting this is a critical stage in her therapy. Carveth forbids any further interaction between the two until his daughter’s safety can be assured. However, the pompous Ranglan threatens legal action, alluding to the possibility of Carveth eventually losing custody of his beloved daughter.*

Carveth decides to dig up dirt on Ranglan in an effort to discredit the physician and prove his wife’s incompetence is directly related to the doctor’s questionable techniques. He brings Candy to her grandmother, hoping this will allow him the opportunity to do some investigating. In his absence grandma is ruthlessly attacked by an odd dwarf-like thing in the presence of the little girl. The grandfather soon befalls a similar fate but Carveth manages to catch the little critter, which abruptly dies during the pursuit. A medical examiner determines that although the creature resembles a human its lack of a navel and sex organs indicate otherwise. Similar beings then attack at Candy’s daycare and take her captive. Through his inquiries Carveth is convinced the institute is somehow responsible for the carnage and now playing host to his daughter. Determined to get her back at any cost he confronts Ranglan, Nola, and the diminutive devils in the shocking and grotesque finale.*

This Cronenberg creeper is permeated with the director’s standard preoccupations. The film asks what effects mania and disease have on the physical evolution of the flesh, a theme he addresses frequently. His calculated direction and pacing are crucial to the story’s effectiveness. The cinematography is excellent and the arresting score lends to the tense atmosphere. The killings provide honest shivers (wink) and the performances, especially from the leads, all feel genuine. No small feat considering the nature of the subject matter. The movie is scary and graphic, offering many twists and turns while raising a few intellectual questions to boot, so what more can you ask for? An early classic from an irrefutable master. * denotes paragraph breaks, sorry :)