Movies
crimes of the Future : David Cronenberg talks about an evolution in the film .
In a synthetic environment, the body mutates and transforms with time. Saul Tenser, a celebrity performance artist in collaboration with his partner, shows the metamorphosis of his organs as they change alongside his body.The group is peeling back layers of human tissue from his skin and probing inside for new insights about our existence on Earth. They are performing experiments to uncover what lies beneath the surface and what a future society might look like—and all without asking permission from Saul himself.
What is the plot of the story ?
A group of scientists and artists are doing research on Saul, who has been invited to a special performance by the team. During the performance they take samples from his body. And they plan to do more tests on him later, as well as ask him questions about his past as they peel back layers of his skin to see what lies underneath. How is the story presented ?
The entire story is told through a multimedia performance piece, with video projections and live performance. As the body is changing, so is the visuals in the room. When one of Saul’s skin samples are removed, a hole appears in his skin and a tube (clear plastic) makes its way up his arm.
Who is in the cast ? What role did each character portray ?
The cast include Kristen Stewart , Lea Seydoux , Chris Isaak , Mat Maitland , Alex Wickham , Rufus Cappadocia , Saul Tenser , and others . The role of Saul is split among several people. I can’t mention the exact number of people involved because I don’t want to give too much away, but suffice to say that the cast is a big one. There are about 10 or so people involved in the performance, most of whom have to be in the room. Their roles are as follows: One of the members of the research team is named Roden.
What are the difficulties they face in the series ?
The biggest difficulty facing the team is the questioning that Saul has agreed to go through, as well as the permission of doing the tests on him. Without permission from Saul, the group cannot observe the body changes that are going on, which is the focus of their research. They want to be able to see how someone’s body changes in an environment that is much different than what was intended by nature. The team has their own way of dealing with these problems from within the project. The tests are being performed in response to a situation that happened near the beginning of the story. Roden (the woman who is involved in this part) takes it upon herself to make modifications to Saul’s environment and change some rules so that it fits her needs better.
What are the themes ?
The themes in this piece include personal growth, discovery, and self-exploration. Saul himself becomes a symbol of change in his environment. He is being influenced by all the people around him, as well as his own creativity and desire to express himself. The audience watches Saul grow from an introverted artist to a person who fully embraces the unique features that come along with his body’s transformation.
The climax of this story takes place when Saul finds out that Roden has been experimenting with his environment behind his back. It is also his first time hearing from an outsider what other people have been telling him about his music, art, and body—which is a collection of seemingly random pieces. His body is not organized or linear in the way most artists have made their work seem to be. Saul starts to show an interest in recreating the way people view him and acting as if he wants to change. As he does so, he begins to take samples from himself—which is something he has never done before.
Who is the antagonist ? What are its motives ?
The main antagonist in this piece is the group of researchers and artists who are trying to study Saul. Their motives are to keep the future of humanity’s existence going by studying what seems to be an evolutionary leap in human life. Saul himself is arguably the villain in this story. He is doing whatever he can to find acceptance and appreciation for his art form, which lacks a linear structure and makes people question how it should be perceived. Instead of finding people who understand him, he finds that they want to do tests on him to see how his body has changed after becoming exposed to his synthetic environment.
Would you recommend watching this ?
If you love science fiction and want to see a different version of the future through the eyes of an artist, this is for you! It’s also for anybody who loves performance art. The images and sounds that come from the performance are very unique, due in part to Saul’s body changing in real time. Thanks for reading !