Film Review: The Brood (18) (Canada 1979) (Director: David Cronenberg), Friday 15.06.2012 23:00, The Cameo Cinema Screen Two, Edinburgh. 

This I found to be a very interesting film about the destructive nature of jealousy, presumption, bitterness and rage.

The role/view of therapy within the film appears unclear as it appears to be something the community are suspicious of though it is also presented in a mystical/reverential way, with the notion that there are areas of functioning where therapists may understand where other lay people couldn't possibly. It also felt distinctly odd to see Oliver Reed in the therapist role, though he was able to display a degree of malevolence within the character which I feel added to uncertainty of motivation and therefore assisted suspense.

The idea that someone through their rage could produce beings that have a telepathic understanding of that rage to then be able to act upon it, although requiring a leap of faith, felt to be an ingenious although creepy 'mcguffin' catalyst for the developments within the film.

The film felt well paced and constructed with a drip feed of clues as to what was happening.

This is the earliest Cronenberg film I have seen so far (the other earliest is Videodrome) and this certainly encourages me to check out more of his early work. On the night I watched this after having just seen his latest effort 'Cosmopolis' and certainly found this to be the more enjoyable of the two.

Rating: 08/10.