The only David Cronenberg movie that was ever rehearsed: “It was a mess”
David Cronenberg always has his finger on the pulse of the most disturbing subject matter, with twisted films that delve into the darker side of the mind, often explored through flesh, blood and other bodily functions. Known for being a pioneer of body horror, Cronenberg has established a style that has influenced directors such as Coralie Fargeat and Julia Ducournau, expanding the limitations of the human body through visceral and unnatural physical transformations to create a wider commentary on love, grief and technology. Cronenberg is also known for his unique working practices, with dense scripts but no rehearsal time, an approach he adopted after a tricky rehearsal period for his 1986 film The Fly.
Despite the surrealist elements of his films that couldn’t feel more detached from reality, Cronenberg maintains that each one is very personal, inspired by real-life moments but explored through the lens of body horror. However, his recent film The Shrouds is the most obviously personal from his work, which came after the death of his wife, Carolyn Zeifman.
The film follows a successful businessman mourning the passing of his wife who discovers a place where you can watch the bodies of your loved ones decay in real time. Given the dark subject matter, Cronenberg cast the film carefully to work with actors who could handle its weight, but he also insisted on no rehearsal time, something that initially intimidated Diane Kruger.
Whilst the other lead actor, Vincent Cassel, had collaborated with Cronenberg before and was familiar with the intensity of his working habits, Kruger admitted that she was nervous going into the project, with no time beforehand to workshop with Cassel or the director, but also being very aware of the personal stakes of the film.
However, when asked about his reluctance to rehearse his films, Cronenberg discussed the reasoning for this decision, which was born from one tumultuous rehearsal on The Fly. He explained, “I did try doing rehearsals with The Fly. That was the only time, and it was a mess because everybody gets competitive and they get snipey, and I thought, ‘This is all going to change when we get on the actual set.’ I thought I’d rather just let the actors bring me what they instinctively find, and if it’s wrong and it goes off the rails, then you talk it through”.
However, despite having to do the majority of their character work alone, Cronenberg was impressed by the level of depth that both actors brought to set from the beginning, saying, “[Vincent Cassel and Diane Kruger] brought fully formed, great performances right to the set. If I had inexperienced actors, I would give more guidance.”
Who knows the exact tensions and struggles that happened during that one rehearsal, but Cronenberg’s revised method of working has created some of his best and most inventive work. While many people would struggle with being flung into the seedy underworld constructed in Cronenberg’s work, Cassel and Kruger helped realise a new tone in the director’s work, something that has the bitter sting of his earlier darkness but with an added vulnerability and sorrow that shows the auteur in a different light.
