Videodrome (1983)
Title: Videodrome
Year: 1983
Director: David Cronenberg
Writers: David Cronenberg
Cast:
James Woods as Max Renn
Debbie Harry as Nicki Brand
Sonja Smits as Bianca O’Blivion
Jack Creley as Brian O’Blivion
Synopsis:
A programmer at a Toronto TV station that specializes in adult entertainment searches for the producers of a dangerous and bizarre broadcast - IMDB
Intro + Pre-show expectations
This movie comes recommended to me so I really do not have much to say. What I can say is I have heard of a few Cronenberg movies and I have heard a lot about his style of filmmaking (in no small part from Rick and Morty.) But I am ready to be psychologically mind-f****** for the next hour and twenty-nine minutes.
SPOILERS BELOW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
“They can program you”
This movie can be both written about and analyzed from so many angles I almost do not know where to begin the discussion. I can’t say I liked the film but I also cannot say I disliked it either. It is like a psychological fever dream that has you questioning the media, your sanity, society, and whatever substance Cronenberg had been taking when making this film.
The film makes many interesting takes on communication and the media. Our Protagonist Max is the president of a television station that operates with almost no regulations on what media they broadcast meaning Max greenlights the broadcast of everything from sexual content to torture, and murder. His justification for this action is simply that he is supplying a demand when in actuality he is broadcasting this content to satisfy his own vile interests and impulses. Eventually, it is through these impulses he becomes a cog in a much bigger machine
Performances
James Woods is the only significant character in this film as the narrative surrounds him and his psychological torment at the hands of ‘Videodrome’, that being said he performs quite well. I would not go as far as to say he deserves any awards but he accomplishes what is necessary of him and nothing less. Quite average across the board, but in his defence this film is much more thematic and psychological than anything so he does not need to bring his A-game to this performance.
My Final Take
Communications scholars would have a field day with this one. The film is about the media's power in the decision-making processes and manipulation of others. We could go as far as to say that in actuality we could just define the primary theme of this film as the media's control over society as a whole.
Once Max first begins watching Videodrome he's attracted to it due to his infatuation with the violent and unsavory acts he witnesses and takes interest in the video. But it is through this connection that Videodrome takes hold of Max and begins showing him more acts like it through the hallucinations he begins having. These hallucinations become so vivid there even comes a time when Max willingly becomes the torturer himself. For our protagonist, this is the point of no return. Max has become a slave to Videodrome and loses both his sanity and autonomy over his decision-making processes. This entire subplot is used to represent how the media can affect our decision-making by influencing the reality we engage with, or perhaps it is better explained in the words of Brian O’Blivion who states: “There is nothing real outside our perception of reality.” I believe the point Cronenberg was trying to drive home the idea that the media decides what we value, how we value it, and the significance it holds in society. Try as we might resist its influence, it hangs over us like an omnipresent shadow influencing our personalities. (One existential Cronenberg movie and just like that I’m already existential and nihilistic) Cronenberg does not keep this theme particularly dormant as the film progresses and at times it is as blatant as lines such as “They can program you”. I’m sure Marshal McLuhan would have been rubbing his hands together with the biggest smile on his face if he ever got the chance to watch this one.
Overall, if you're ever looking for a film to study for a philosophy or communications class look no further. The film may also be enjoyable if you're feeling a bit existential about the future of the internet and media. Besides these few instances, I cannot recommend Videodrome to be consumed willingly for any other reason unless you really like unsettling films.
Score
Writing: 8/10
Style: 8/10
Performance: 6.5/10
Direction: 7.5/10
Cinematography: 6/10
