‘I’ve come here to say one magic word to you: cheeseburger.’ The Fly scene-by-scene: Act One

Abstract

This chapter assesses the scenes of Act One of David Cronenberg's The Fly (1986). The film opens with a mid-shot of Seth Brundle (Jeff Goldblum) talking to the camera; the next shot determines Brundle is actually talking to Geena Davis' character of Veronica ‘Ronnie’ Quaife. Within seconds, the two-hander format of the narrative is established, and another important aspect of the film: Veronica as the audience. The chapter then considers Cronenberg's oscillation between human seduction and scientific explanation in the interactions between Seth and Veronica. It also looks at the introduction of the third character of the love triangle, Stathis Borans. It is at this point that the singularity of Cronenberg's storytelling becomes strikingly apparent. With the introduction of Borans, Cronenberg has established the ‘trunk’ of his story structure, the interplay — conversational or otherwise — between Seth and Veronica, with all other scenes and incidences acting as ‘branches’ from this ‘trunk’. It is this singular simplicity of vision and structure that makes The Fly such a smart screenplay.