The Fly (1958) Review

You may have noticed that I’ve skipped the 40s and continuing to the 50s. Reason being is that I couldn’t find the film that I wanted to talk about in either streaming or just renting. I apologize for the slight inconvenience but I must continue. The 40s and 50s are when we see the horror genre go in different directions. Obviously, you had World War 2 happening in which the atrocities were worse than what was being put into celluloid. After, there was a new fear with the invention of the atomic bomb as a legitimate threat to humanity. I call that era the Atomic Age due to the influx of sci-fi horror and B-Movies that were popping up.

1. What Happened to Andre

        Usually I would leave what I’m about to type to the legacy tab, but I distinctly remember my first exposure to this film. Of all the types of movies that I watched when I was little, a Disney movie directly referenced The Fly. The Emperor’s New Groove had a moment when Kuzco sees a fly that gets caught in a web, only to be eaten by a spider. Played for laughs and sometimes I rewatch that sequence due to the fly’s blunt too late response after being devoured. And of course, "Family Guy" had a moment when Stewie was experimenting with a teleportation machine. 

        Anyways, it seemed that in the 50s you have a chunk of horror movies delve into the dangers of science. With experiments gone wrong or human curiosity getting the better of one person, you had it where it was extremely topical due to what was happening in the real world. And it wasn’t just limited to us being responsible, there where monsters and aliens that rounded up just the type of horror films that were popular to an extent with some audiences. That’s where I find it fascinating where the fantasy elements of horror suddenly shifted to something that is still novel to us. 

        So let’s talk about the film. Based on a short story that was published in Playboy magazine, the movie is mostly a good adaptation. We follow Francois as he and Inspector Charas interrogate the former’s sister-in-law. She’s been accused of murdering her husband in questionable fashion. Throughout the interrogation, she recounts what led her to kill him. Initially I thought the story would be told sequentially, but having it be told via flashback is interesting since we see how her husband was. 

        We see how Andre is, he’s an idealistic scientist that has revolutionized teleportation. He’s a family man that doesn’t have a dark side. One would think with a movie like this that he’s gone mad with his creation and goes in way too deep. He’s not even evil but just curious enough to perfect his work. Although, you could say that he accidentally killed his pet cat due to wanting to see if something that is alive can survive teleportation.

        What makes the character interesting for a horror film is that he’s a tragic character. It ties in with the idea of science that the film has going for it. Just to tease it since I’ll be elaborating it in the next tab, Andre uses science to see if he can manipulate things to be better. There’s a moment where he visions that his technology can be used for good. Not knowing that he hadn’t perfected it yet and calculated the tiniest of variables. 

        Speaking of, I’m glad that the movie didn’t stoop to the ridiculous level that is very easily apparent with the film’s premise. Much like Cat People, it’s a concept that given to the wrong hands, could’ve been bad or cheesy. It was originally supposed to release under 20th Century Fox’s subsidiary where it was originally going to be a B-Movie. Given the care and direction the film manages to be suspenseful and curious about what the whole film is about. To a point where we don’t see Andre’s transformation but see the aftereffects of his experimentation. 

        There’s a difference between a horror film being either formal or exploitive as far as content is concerned. Nowadays, you have the obligatory exploitive sequence of being disgusting and gruesome when seeing someone in pain. Given the censored codes back then, it’s more impactful by having the audience not see what happened but to only imagine how it would’ve transpired. And even having the actors/actresses performances sell the dread of the inevitable reveal of Andre’s transformation. 

2. Science

        As I mentioned earlier, science fiction was in for horror. From monsters, aliens and giant bugs irradiated with gamma radiation, it seemed that there was new material to exploit people’s fear of the real-world bomb and it’s use. So much so that this film has a more reserved look into science since it isn’t a weapon that was being tested but a way to get from one place to another. It’s sort of grounded since it attempts to a show an interesting aspect that doesn’t revolve around death and destruction. 

        More so that, it basically showcases to the audience that there’s always one variable that gets in the way of advancement. Thinking about it more, it’s ingenuous to have all things a common house fly disrupt a man’s attempt to experiment. Andre is smart, but he severely miscalculated the chance that anything minute or small can alter his life. I didn’t even talk about his altered state but I guess now since he doesn’t speak for a good chunk. 

        Like I said, we don’t see his transformation only that he has his face covered in a small blanket and hides his hand in his coat pocket. He mostly communicates in written and typed notes to his wife Helene. She attempts to help by retrieving the fly but inevitably realizes that the Andre that he’s been talking to is slowly losing his humanity. I think it’s horrifying to have someone just lose their sense of self and just lash out as an animal. 

        The overall look of Andre’s new look is on par with what the 1950s were all about. A giant head of a fly is the most recognizable image of the horror genre at the time and it seemed that many people confuse this movie with its sequel. More so that I wish the technology was advanced enough to see the fly’s perspective as it’s darting around the house. It’s a minor thing since the film’s execution is good enough. Just the sound of the buzzing works since we and the characters can’t find the fly that has Andre’s head and arm. 

3. Legacy

        The day that I stop talking about movies is the day that I’ll understand why the film received mixed opinions when it came out. Part of it I can understand that the premise is nearly laughable and people were perhaps underwhelmed with how Andre’s fly appearance looked. More so that some critics thought that the film took itself seriously despite having a B-Movie edge to it. To me, it’s an A B-Movie, meaning that it wears it’s premise on its sleeve but doesn’t laugh at itself in just the idea of it. More so that this film cemented Vincent Price’s place in Horror, by making him the star associated with the genre. 

        There were two sequels for the film and it follows the template of dumbing down the execution and making the fly character into a mad man. As I mentioned earlier, this film could be the first example of the Mandela Effect where people confuse this movie with its sequel. Since those were shot in black and white and this one was shot in color and in Widescreen Cinemascope. Might as well talk about the remake with David Cronenberg and Jeff Goldblum. Having watched snippets of it and possibly I’ll talk about it next year, but it absolutely took the concept to the next level as far as having a no holds bar approach. It’s a Cronenberg film alright, and I would even say from what I’ve read one of the best horror remakes alongside John Carpenter’s The Thing. 

4. Overall

        The Fly is one of the 1950s best sci-fi horror films of the decade.