Essay Questions

Who exactly is the antagonist of the movie?

There is not a clear antagonist, but Stathis acts as one. He is an old boyfriend of Veronica's, and is jealous of Seth. When Seth is turning into a fly, Stathis tries to shoot him, but instead is vomited on. However, his shotgun is the one that ends up killing Seth, and he uses the fact that Seth is no longer human as an excuse to himself to want to kill him. However, Stathis may not be the main antagonist at all. Perhaps that one, tiny little fly that slipped into the telepod with Seth is the one. After all, that fly turned Seth into one, caused Veronica to want an abortion, and created numerous other problems. Is it possible that such a tiny creature could be the biggest antagonist in the movie?

How does Cronenberg's specialization in the genre of body horror contribute to the plot and theme of the movie?

Cronenberg is known for the revitalization of the genre of body horror. The genre, which features a creature that is obviously malformed or grotesque, is used to create an element of fear and reality in the viewer. The plot of the movie, of course, revolves around a man that is turning into a fly, which obviously shows how the fly man will contribute to the horror. Yet, Cronenberg does such a good job of helping to create costumes that the fear is even more real that it would be with another director's movie. The plot is not the only thing affected - the theme is as well. The themes of the movie include love and jealousy, and both are shown with this body horror. For one, the love between Veronica and Seth is broken because of the horrid transformation. Also, the change gives jealous Stathis an excuse to want to kill Seth.

What type of impact does this film have on viewers?

The Fly is not an educational or information film, instead being created to entertain viewers. The impact that it has is of fear, as the film uses the fact of something that could not possibly happen and making it seem real. In the end, the movie is for entertainment, but themes of love and jealousy also surface. Seth and Veronica are symbols showing that some things can get in the way of loving one another, but it is very upsetting when those things actually happen.