DEAD RINGERS

Canada, 1988, 115 minutes, Colour.
Jeremy Irons, Genevieve Bujold.
Directed by David Cronenberg.

Dead Ringers is an art-house science fiction film. It has a touch of horror from David Cronenberg (The Brood, Scanners, Videodrome, The Fly). Most audiences will probably be confused, bored (or both). But Cronenberg is very serious. This is a story of identical twins, played intensely and with subtle distinctions by Jeremy Irons. Innovative doctors in gynaecology, they have celebrated careers. But, this is the story of their decline, the impossibility of true individuation, the need for each other and the need for separating.

It is a long, brooding film that requires concentration in an attempt to know who is who and what is happening to each of the twins. It delves into the mythologies of identity and personality evocatively.

1. The films of David Cronenberg? His interest in the human psyche? Scientific and technological background? Psychology and symbols?

2. The use of Toronto, the city, apartments, hospitals? Authentic atmosphere? The special effects, the artwork? The dreams and the effects? Musical score?

3. The title, the reference to twins? Images during the credits and the end? The discussion about the first Siamese twins and their deaths? Identical twins - how close the identity? Names? (Masculine and feminine?) Identical look, behaviour? Knowing and feeling together? Complementarity? Need for each other? Collapse of one, collapse of the other? Death?

4. The prologue and 1954, the twin boys, their talk, sexuality and science and the sea? Propositioning the girl? The operation game and their experiments, developing the equipment?

5. 1967 and their study in Boston, the operations, the development of the equipment, professional jealousy and reactions, the awards, the gold piece? One, the extrovert, accepting it, the other, the introvert, at home.

6. 1988: their age, experience, skills, reputation, the blend of research and action? The introvert and the extrovert? Living together, interchangeable? The jokes about their identity? Sexual relationships and interchange? The audience puzzled - which is which?

7. Claire and her gynaecological examination, her hopes for a child, mutant characteristics and pregnancy? The talk about women changing, genetic upsets, operations, reality and dream? Beverley talking to Claire's secretary about gynaecology and her mutant situation? The artwork, the stealing of it, the comment on evolution and change? Mutation?

8. Claire as the film star, the mini-series, her hopes, the examination by Beverley, the dinner with Elliott? Beverley's return, the affair, the sensuality, the effect of each on the other? Her realising some kind of schizophrenia? Elliott casual, Beverley intense? Her relationship, the change, meeting the two, her reaction and spurning Beverley? Elliott going after her but not going? Beverley weeping?

9. Beverley's going downhill after the relationship with Claire? Frustration, the younger brother, the introvert? Seeing Claire, her taking of pills, his growing dependence and drug addiction? The dream of Elliott and Claire biting the twins free? Her loving him or not? His jealousy? The phone call and talking to her secretary, his anger, taking more pills, collapse? His performance at the award night? His speech and the talk about sexuality and exploitation? Elliott taking care of him? The conversation about the deaths of the Siamese twins?

10. Elliott as extroverted, the grants and awards, his girlfriend? Taking or leaving relationships? Not taking drugs? His care for Beverley? His going on tour, his lectures and philosophy of medicine? Experimentation? His standing in at the operation and collapsing? The accountability to the board? The warnings of his girlfriend?

11. Beverley ringing Claire, her return, going to see her, his getting out, using the security man to unlock the door? His vomiting in the street, the art exhibition and his stealing the implements? Going to Claire, the collapse? Her questions?

12. Elliott and his own collapse, empathy with Beverley, the drugs? Needing Beverley for his career as a speaker, Beverley's research?

13. The two walking the apartment identically, the drugs, the build-up to the killing of Elliott, Beverley and his surgery? Going out, the phone call to Claire - "Who is it"? His return to the apartment, the two joined in death, designed in death like Michelangelo's Pieta?

14. How realistic was the plot and characterisation? How dramatic? Symbolic? Myths about twins, identity, individuation? Psychic identity, consciousness? Evolution? A satisfying dramatisation of symbolic mythology?