Howard Shore's score immediately sets the tone for The Fly, letting us know we are in store for a tragedy even before we've met any of the characters. It hits a string of dramatic highs that almost suggest that of an opera, not surprising since the director, David Cronenberg, and Shore adapted this movie into one years later. After the credits end, the movie wastes no time and sends us straight into the middle of a conversation between Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum, in a career defining performance), an ultra nerdy scientist, and Veronica Quaife (Geena Davis), a journalist for Particle Magazine. Much flirtation is involved, and Seth is finally able to convince Veronica to come back to his lab to see what he's been working on. What first seems like a bad pickup attempt quickly turns into the story of a lifetime. Seth has found a way to teleport inanimate objects; at least, that's all he's tried it on thus far.
Veronica is, naturally, astonished by what he's done, and begins to fall in love with Seth in the process. They have an effortless chemistry, one built on physical and mental attraction. For Veronica, the idea of doing a story on him has become replaced with a genuine interest in seeing his new invention prevail. But that will involve testing it with a living subject, or "flesh," to use a signature word of Cronenberg's. After a disastrous attempt and a few modifications, Seth makes a breakthrough that ends with him being the first human test subject. Due to a distraction based on jealously (Veronica is in a complicated situation with an ex-boyfriend), Seth fails to notice that a fly is in the teleportation pod with him.
At first, Seth feels miraculous. He can have sex for hours, his strength has increased significantly, and he'd probably be a shoo-in for the Olympic gymnastics team. But what to make of the endless sugar cravings, the tough hair growing on his back, and the change in his skin tone? It's easy to brush such things aside when you've made an epic scientific breakthrough and feel like a teenager again. Veronica notices the changes in the way Seth looks/acts, but her attempts to make him aware end in confrontation. He wants to believe that she's jealous of his discovery and the power it's brought him. He wants someone to share the rush of the experience with him, which Veronica refuses to do, especially when Seth starts to literally fall apart.
Seth's deterioration is shown in graphic detail. It has been speculated that The Fly, released in 1986, is a cautionary tale about AIDS, a theory Cronenberg has denied was intentional. Given Seth's physical state as the movie progresses, it makes perfect sense. Everything takes a complete turn for the worst for him, beginning with the skin and then leading to basic motor functions. His fusion with the fly has plagued him like a disease, and it's heartbreaking to watch Seth desperately try to find a way to scientifically save himself as he continues to come to pieces. As with his 1982 feature Videodrome, Cronenberg wants us to see the extreme consequences that arise when man feels the urge to become a part of their technological advances. What sets The Fly apart from that movie is the love story at its center.
There's an exciting urgency in the romance between Seth and Veronica. The flirtation and teasing that establishes their attraction soon builds into mutual respect and for Veronica, it goes a step further in seeing Seth get the attention he deserves for his creation. The test of unconditional love is taken to its fullest extent once Seth begins to change and Veronica has to decide how far she can go. A revelation late in the movie adds an extra complication that drives Seth further into madness. By the time he's almost fully transformed from man to fly, his obsession with becoming human again has caused him to consider acts that could jeopardize the one person who truly cares for him.
The breakdown of Seth's mental state and his internal/external body changes add to The Fly an interesting take on the aging process. It's a tribute to the complexity of Goldblum's performance that he is still able to convincingly show so much sadness despite being hidden under lots of makeup. Once he finally accepts that he is no longer fully human and, like aging, it is something out of control, the movie finds real sympathy in the midst of the grotesque. There are a number of truly shocking sights in the movie, most of which are drawn out of the "fly" side of Seth's being, and what's surprising is how he is able to do his best to treat this misfortune as something he can adapt to (look at how he documents his method of eating once his digestive system has changed). Even as his world comes crashing down, it's still all about science, as witnessed by how Seth saves all the body parts he loses.
It's astonishing to me that The Fly was a big summer studio release. Unlike most crowd pleasing blockbusters, Cronenberg's movie, despite its high caliber special effects, is grim and features a conclusion that is undeniably heart shattering. The movie stunningly pulls off the remarkable feat of getting us emotionally connected to the fully transformed Seth, who is no longer a man (in appearance, at least, as the tortured soul of the man still exists within) by the end of the picture. The final moment is devastating, made so due to the fantastic performances by the two leads and Cronenberg's dedication to play this material without a hint of irony. No one can devastate us like he can (just look at Dead Ringers if you still don't believe me). How fascinating it is that his ultimate masterwork also turned out to be his most commercial.
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