Spider (DVD, 2003) - Picture 1 of 1
Spider (DVD, 2003) - Picture 1 of 1
Spider (DVD, 2003)
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Slow, deliberate, and haunting, Spider is my favorite Cronenberg film to date. He ditches the overly dark, bizzare subject matter which made his earlier films less accesible, and provides a reasonably sympathetic protagonist. In a miracle of writing, the psychology is fascinating while never getting overly pretentious or hard-to-follow. Fiennes mutters brilliantly, but the star of the show is Miranda Richardson in a breathtaking double role. I really liked the pace on this one, and how Cronenberg gives us enough time to remove ourselves from our world and put ourselves in Spider’s mind.
"Spider" is the heart wrenching story of a man who, because of his mental illness, must go through life unable to organize and understand jumbled images and memories, memories which may have a basis in reality or which may be creations of a mind gone haywire. Ralph Fiennes does a tremendous job of portraying a man-child who suffers from schizophrenia. Fiennes captures the profound agony of the disease through the subtlest of movements. From his disheveled appearance complete with rust-colored fingers signifying the years of tobacco use and lack of vanity, to his psychotic mumbling conversations with himself and vaguely with others, Fiennes the chameleon wears the role of Spider like another layer of skin. Fiennes' performance brings a strange dignity to this ragged man. The film introduces us to Spider (a nickname given to him because of his infatuation with webs) as he exits a train after decades of being confined to a mental institute. While the other passengers hurry about their business, Spider's movements are slow and plodding. His final destination is a halfway house where men who suffer similar illnesses are cared for by the stern taskmaster, Mrs. Wilkenson (Lynn Redgrave). His cautious exit from the train platform illustrates with heartbreaking clarity his confusion with life in the outside world. Unfortunately for Spider's fragile mental health, the halfway house to which he's been assigned is in the same neighborhood as his childhood home, and a floodgate of memories is released as he visits his childhood haunts. His already tenuous hold on reality is further loosened by distorted memories stirred by walking through his old neighborhood. With schizophrenia playing loose and easy with his memories, we see Spider watching from the sidelines as his mind replays clips from his childhood. He's like an unseen specter observing himself as a youth as the child he was interacts with his father, his beloved mother and the drunken hussy his cheating father brought into their home. As these scenes play out, Spider's confused recollections of his relationship with his parents, and their relationship with each other, make the audience into voyeurs alongside the adult Spider. When the memories begin to reveal a different story than Spider has hung on to for decades, he is powerless to halt the progress of his dementia as the memories lead him toward a further break with reality. Gabriel Byrne is fantastic as Spider's boozing, philandering father and Miranda Richardson absolutely blew me away as multiple characters, including the role of Spider's loving mom. Credit deservedly goes to director David Cronenberg for artfully showing us the world from Spider's schizophrenic point of view. Using muted colors and minimal dialogue, Cronenberg's created a crystal clear picture of a man tormented by thoughts and actions beyond his control. We are able to see a man stretched to his limits, a sympathetic man who lives in a world that exists only in his own fractured mind. Cronenberg has succeeded in making that world believable to the audience." from: http://movies.about.com/library/weekly/aaspiderreview.htm.Read full review
Dennis Clegg (Ralph Fiennes) is now middle aged and lives in a halfway house for the mentally ill in London. Dennis, nicknamed Spider by his mother, has been institutionalized with acute schizophrenia ongoing for 20+ years. He has never truly recovered, however, as the story progresses, we vicariously experience his increasingly fragile attempt to grab onto what seems to be some semblance of reality. The film is set in the East End of London in the '60s & '80s. A deeply disturbed boy, Spider (Bradley Hall), sees his father brutally murder his mother and replace her with a prostitute, Yvonne (Miranda Richardson). Convinced they plan to murder him next, Spider hatches an insane plan, which he carries through to tragic effect. Years later, Spider (Fiennes) is released into a halfway house, where he receives little care or attention from the landlady Mrs. Wilkinson (Lynn Redgrave). Unsupervised, Spider stops taking his medication and starts revisiting his childhood memories. His attempts to sustain his delusional account of his past begin to unravel and Spider spirals into unbridled madness. Many comparisons can be made between this film and the Ron Howard film A Beautiful Mind in that they both examine the complexities of mental illness. Whereas Howard took the glamorous Hollywood approach, complete with government agents & associated adventures, Cronenberg continues to prove that less is more. Spider is significantly more effective in that it does not candy coat its subject, rather approaching the scenario with brute realism. Director David Cronenberg could possibly be considered one of the most misunderstood directors of our age in terms of popular appeal. His films are not for mass marketing and concession sales, but are more psychological and/or sociological challenging to the viewer. Cronenberg's films generally demand a surrender from the audience to an unsettling reality, and Spider is no different. The fractured perception offered by the protagonist as displayed through Cronenberg's eye is truly remarkable. The locations were so real, you could smell and tasted them - I grew up in such a places and in the same period as the Boy Spider. Every single and highly accurate detail brought my childhood memories rushing back. This film has the power to do this to you. The story-line is realistic. The dramatizations depicted in this film really did happen and probably still do. This film kept me totally engaged during every single second. The acting was no less than you would expect from such a talented cast - brilliant performances from all. Ralph Fiennes is just superb. Gabriel Byrne probably plays the most difficult role of his career here keeping the secret to the end. John Neville and Lynn Redgrave, provide the supporting roles with a flare that never upstage the lead actors. Bradley Hall, who plays the Boy Spider gave a fine performance that appears quite unrehearsed. The script, adapted by the author of the book, was powerful without going over the top & was very authentic. Even throwaway lines by supporting actors had meaning and helped convey the power and momentum of this masterpiece. Spider is such an incredibly complex film with so many levels of interpretations and ambiguity, it fits the true model for great and memorable films. The acting is first-rate and Oscar-worthy in the literal sense. There are only a few visible goofs in the film such as when the camera is clearly reflected in a broken window at the asylum.Read full review
I’m so happy to add this film to my DVD collection. Ralph Fiennes and Gabriel Byrne are wonderful in this story of a troubled man living in a halfway house in England following his release from a psychiatric institution. He is tormented by his childhood and keeps revisiting it. To say more would involve spoilers. Miranda Richardson and Lynn Redgrave also shine in this Cronenberg film. Highly recommended.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
4/5, excellent performances. DVD was in great condition and I can’t wait to watch again with the director’s commentary
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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