The actor David Cronenberg grew increasingly possessive of
There aren’t that many directors whose work has given birth to an entirely new genre. However, in the case of David Cronenberg, it’s safe to say that body horror would not exist without his influential films that have consistently dared to explore the limitations and possibilities of the human body. With the release of the small indie flick Shivers in 1975, Cronenberg put himself on the map. The film explored how a parasite might not only cause people to get sick but also alter their psyche, turning them into rabid, violent sex maniacs.
Cronenberg, now 81, has amassed a cult following over the last six decades. The Fly, which saw an eccentric scientist mutate into a grotesque winged creature, was both a critical and box office hit. In 1996, the Canadian won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes for Crash. New audiences were introduced to Cronenberg’s unique and disturbed artistry in 2022 with Crimes of the Future, which imagines a world where humans tattoo their organs as a form of performance art.
It might not be surprising to learn that Cronenberg grew up in a creative household, with a musician mother and a writer father. As a child, he avidly consumed science fiction magazines. Initially studying science at university, he later switched to English language and literature. These two passions—literature and science—became central themes in his films, where biology serves as a means to explore the darker aspects of human nature.
Violence, particularly its psychology, is another key theme of Cronenberg’s work. In his crime thriller, A History of Violence, starring Viggo Mortensen, Cronenberg asks the moral question of why seemingly decent human beings are attracted to violence. That was the film that marked the first collaboration between the director and actor duo. Mortensen has since starred in three more Cronenberg features: Eastern Promises, A Dangerous Method, and Crimes of the Future. During an interview with Marriska Fernandes, Cronenberg spoke of their close relationship. He said: “If I offered Viggo a role, and he really feels he’s not right for or doesn’t connect with it, he has to be able to say no, and I am not going to be shattered.”
However, when speaking of Mortensen’s Crimes of the Future co-star Kiera Knightley, the same cannot be said. Cronenberg, in conversation with Knightley for Interview magazine, admitted that he “can’t bear the idea” of Knightley working with other directors. He joked to her: “I’m assuming that constantly on the set, secretly you were thinking, Oh, god…David wouldn’t have done it that way.”
In the 2011 film, Knightley played Sabina Spielrein, a patient of Carl Jung who became one of the first female psychoanalysts. The actor had already become known for her outstanding period performances in Pride & Prejudice and Atonement, but speaking of her work with Cronenberg, she loved how close she was able to get with the people she was working with: “You rely on everybody on a very personal level, as a team,” Knightley said. “Bigger films are more difficult because the number of people is so huge.”
The fact that Cronenberg felt possessive of both Knightley and her character demonstrates his commitment to both the art form and the artists he works with. After he hinted at his jealousy, Knightley jested, “I was always pining for you”. Hopefully, the pair will work together again and create some new magic. However, a new role might see Knightley’s switch tools, from the psychoanalytic method to scalpels and forceps.
