Film Details:
Directed by David Cronenberg (eXistenz, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, Naked Lunch, Spider)
Written by:
David Cronenberg (Rabid, Shivers, Videodrome)
Norman Snider (Rated X)
Bari Wood and Jack Geasland (novel)
Starring
Jeremy Irons (Kafka, The Man in the Iron Mask, Lion King)
Genevieve Bujold (Tightrope, Monsignor)
Review: by Melissa (e-mail your faithful reviewer)
Dead Ringers is, perhaps, Cronenberg's crowning achievement. eXistenZ is still my favorite Cronenberg film, but Dead Ringers is a genuine masterpiece.
It's definitely not for everyone. The movie is slow, deliberate, polished, and harrowing in a muted sort of way, Dead Ringers is a film for people who really like to chew on what they see on screen. You always get the idea that you're not quite catching everything, like the film is a dark pool that you can keep staring into. You never know if you will see something beautiful or horrible next. Sometimes, it's both.
Dead Ringers is about a pair of identical twins, both gynecologists with a penchant for "sharing" women who can't tell them apart. The confident twin, Elliot, usually starts things off, then when he tires of the woman, he passes her on to Beverly, the shyer of the two brothers. Then they meet Claire, who Beverly falls in love with. Eventually, Claire figures out what is going on, and things slowly begin to unhinge. The movie then descends into the depths of madness, obsession, drug use, fear of the body, and the fear of separation.
The film's greatest asset by far is Jeremy Irons, who turns in two knockout performances as both of the twins. Not only is his work convincing, but it is always clear to the viewer which twin is which, if only by the slightest of changes in intonation or mannerism. It's amazing to watch.
Irons' performance is made sterling by Cronenberg's wise use of trick photography. The special effects are absolutely seamless. It is easy to forget that what you are watching is actually a milestone in practical effects. Huge leaps were made to produce a new generation of split-screen opticals for this film. You never notice that. You just see Jeremy Irons and his twin.
Indeed, whether or not the camera is playing tricks on your eyes, the view is always gorgeous. This is one of the prettiest films to emerge out of the late 80's, even though the entire film takes place within apartments and doctors' offices. The sets are disturbingly sterile, yet the cinematography imbues even the shiny-black modernist furniture with a strange warmth. Mix in Howard Shore's gorgeous score, and you really have a work of art. (Fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy will likely note embryonic versions of LotR themes in the Dead Ringers soundtrack.) There may be a few horror films prettier than this one, but they are genuinely rare.
Dead Ringers is creepy, beautiful, intelligent, wanton, masterful, and haunting. It is not for people with short attention spans, and it is likely not a wise selection for a women who have an upcoming gynecological appointment. However, this is the sort of movie that transcends genre, and can appeal to much more than the usual horror/suspense audience.
DVD Details:
