Tags
1970's, Art Hindle, Cindy Hinds, David Cronenberg, Horror, Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, The Brood
Film Title
The Brood
Director
David Cronenberg
Starring
- Oliver Reed as Dr. Hal Raglan
- Samantha Eggar as Nola Carveth
- Art Hindle as Frank Carveth
- Cindy Hinds as Candice Carveth
A disturbing and unsettling horror film given a personal slant because of what director David Cronenberg had been going through, The Brood will frighten you as well as leave you with questions because of the strange impact it has.
The eccentric and questionable Dr. Hal Raglan has found an unusual way to treat his disturbed patients. The treatment literally allows the patient to manifest their pain, anger and frustration as various bodily effects like legions, bumps and blisters. He is in the process of treating Nola Carveth, who has suffered some sort of breakdown while being locked in an acrimonious custody battle with her estranged husband Frank for their five-year-old daughter Candice. Raglan sees Nola as one of his star patients and believes his treatments are working as he begins to break down the defensive barriers she puts up because of incidents in her past. Yet Frank is not so convinced and certain events like the discovery of bruises on his daughter’s back after visiting her mother, lead him to believe that Nola is behind this and that the treatment is having a dangerous impact on those subjected to it. Yet while the confused Frank is trying to piece together this puzzle, a series of grisly murders are committed by what appears to be a swarm of disfigured dwarves on those that have hurt Nola in the past adding further mystery and terror to the mix. As he digs deeper, he makes a shocking discovery that leads him back to his wife and the treatment while trying to protect his young daughter caught in the middle of it all and open to the threat of the eponymous brood.
David Cronenberg infuses The Brood with a personal stamp, seemingly influenced by the divorce he was going through at the time. The Brood may derive its horror from the grisly murders and unusual bodily treatments, but a lot of the horror comes from the themes of divorce and the impact of it on those surrounding it, mainly the young daughter. Cronenberg paces the film very well as we build up to the hellish revelations of dubious psychology and the morphing of ones body into its own entity of rage and hate. There are times when the pace becomes too glacial for its own good and the sheer strangeness of the film threatens to overpower, but it just keeps the right amount of mystery, terror and freaky goings on to keep you interested and invested in this disturbing tale. A quick warning for anyone thinking of watching The Brood, it is not a film for everyone and if you have a weak stomach, you might want to look away as things get particularly grisly as the film goes on.While subtlety is not exactly the film’s strong suit, I was interested in how it built up to the horror rather than just had it from the first frame. With this, we do get a sense of mystery as we assume the role of Frank, trying to discover the extent of Raglan’s treatment. And while there is gore( specifically in the last half an hour when things boil over) , it feels more controlled and gives it an unexpected jolt of terror rather than having a detrimental effect on the story. While some of the special effects are a little dated, many of them surprisingly hold up very well, especially in the case of the murderous brood of the title. Howard Shore provides an eerie score of slashing strings and reverberating menace that adds yet another layer of power to the disturbing events that begin to unfold.
Oliver Reed is oiliness personified as the ambitious yet eccentric psychologist with the unusual treatments that lead to inevitable terror and destruction. Just watching his methods of treatment and his refusal to stop is chilling indeed as he doesn’t see the grisly impact it will have on other people. Samantha Eggar sends shivers down the spine as the disturbed Nola, bringing forth an intense, wild-eyed performance that is hard to forget. Nola is the main catalyst of the story with her deep-seated anxieties boiling over into rage and Eggar makes the character an unforgettable creation. Art Hindle makes the most of the part of Frank, and exudes the confusion and tenacity of a man trying to piece together a disturbing set of events and protect his young daughter from harm. Cindy Hinds plays the traumatised child very well and really is emotionally convincing in this disturbing film.
Deeply unsettling and stomach-churning, The Brood is a whole bunch of horror rolled into a package that also functions as something of a drama too thanks to the impact of Cronenberg’s connection to the tale.
Laura said:
That gross bit is really gross, isn’t it?!
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vinnieh said:
I know what you mean, I would advise people not to eat during that part of the film.
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Laura said:
Absolutely!
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vinnieh said:
I think you can say that about most of the movies directed by Cronenberg.
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Laura said:
Yep, he’s one sick puppy from what I’ve seen.
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vinnieh said:
Because of the stuff he puts in his films, I do wonder what other job he would do if he wasn’t a film director.
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Laura said:
And how long he’d be able to keep it!
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vinnieh said:
Haha, so true.
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beetleypete said:
Another specialist ‘body-horror’ from the master of the genre. It is easy to forget that Oliver Reed was an accomplished actor, given the right parts. I haven’t seen this since it was released, so I will have to look out for it on the Horror Channel, and re-visit the revulsion!
Best wishes, Pete.
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vinnieh said:
I think people tend to think of Reed’s hedonistic lifestyle and hellraiser antics rather than his acting, which is a shame.
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Khalid at The Blazing Reel said:
Great review, Vinn. Nobody does body horror better than David Cronenberg.
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vinnieh said:
So true, he really knows how to make an audience squirm.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
Absolutely brilliant review Vinnie! This has been on my must watch list forever, but I’ve never gotten around to it. Now I really want to see it! Thanks for the warning about the gross part. 😊
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vinnieh said:
I felt obliged to put a warning on, so people knew what they were getting themselves in for.
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By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I also didn’t know about his divorce. Art imitating life, imitating art?
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vinnieh said:
It would appear to be that way Kim.
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Tom said:
I’m curious. Great read man.
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vinnieh said:
It’s definitely unusual Tom and not for everyone.
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theipc said:
This movie is definitely one sick bastard! Good post, Boss!
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vinnieh said:
You summed it up pretty perfectly with that sentence Eric.
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nuwansenfilmsen said:
Sounds intriguing. I liked your description of the symbolical representation of divorce and it’s impact on the child, represented through this horror film. Nice analysis!!!!
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vinnieh said:
I found the link with the director’s circumstances and the film very intriguing.
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Mel @ The Creative Fox Den said:
This looks like something I would like. I’ve put it on the coveted To Watch list 🙂
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vinnieh said:
I feel so honored to have a film I reviewed on the watch list.
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Mel @ The Creative Fox Den said:
🙂
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emmakwall said:
Nice review Vinster 🙂 I love Cronenberg so much!!!!!! This film is so typically him. And Howard Shore does the score? I didn’t actually know that, but it makes sense and what a nice touch!
I’ve only seen this film twice but I have it on DVD so might have to watch it again very soon 🙂
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vinnieh said:
I knew you’d like this review as you’re a fan of Cronenberg.
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emmakwall said:
I am! Especially around this era 🙂
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vinnieh said:
I need to see more of his movies.
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emmakwall said:
The Fly (as you know) and Scanners are my faves 🙂
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vinnieh said:
I’m gonna have to watch Scanners.
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emmakwall said:
I hope you enjoy it!!!
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vinnieh said:
I’m certain I will.
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John Charet said:
Great post 🙂 I love The Brood and I love a lot of director David Cronenberg’s films. This one would probably be in the top five for me. Dead Ringers, The Fly and Videodrome and tons of his others are great films too. Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂
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vinnieh said:
His directorial stamp is always on display in his work. He knows how to unsettle an audience in a whole host of ways.
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