David Cronenberg People example essay topic

David Cronenberg People can interpret different things in different ways. Some people look at the Eiffel Tower and say that it is a work of genius. Others may look at it as if it were the ugliest thing in Europe. Two opposing views creates controversy.

People look at the work of the well known director, David Cronenberg, the same way. In my essay, I will not take a side, but I will clearly and concisely outline and detail both sides of his work. David Cronenberg was born May 15, 1943 in Toronto Ontario. His childhood was rather disturbing, with abusive parents, and living a very sheltered life in the suburbs of Toronto for most of his life.

He went to the University of Toronto, where he studied film and producing and direction. David's first big screen success came to him in 1969 when his simple and tasteful film 'Stereo' got shot down at the box office. David was somewhat discouraged by this and in 1970 would shock the world with his first film of the horror or shock film industry that broke all the limits. 'Crimes of the Future' was a large success at the box office and at he 1970 Cannes Film Festival. Little did the public know, David Cronenberg was not finished there. The ideas he had stored in his uncanny mind of his were peculiar, odd and extraordinary.

With his continuing success artistically, the public began to find his work vulgar and disturbing. In 1983, David Cronenberg produced and directed the highly sucessful 'The Fly. ' From that film on his work was very controversial. The artists found his work deep, and meaningful, while the ordinary person though it to be the work of a madman. He had 5 more films to direct. 'Dead Ringers', 'Naked Lunch', 'Madame Butterfly', 'Crash' and 'Existent.

' As his films progressed they got either more artistic and meaningful or more sickening. Naked Lunch was once again cheered at the 1991 Cannes Festival, but less than he previous successes. His work is often stylish and experimental. With plots concerning the aftermath of some disastrous biological mishap. The Fly and The Dead Zone prove this point. These two movies in the 1980's have given David his cult status.

David Cronenberg's 1993 entitled, Madame Butterfly enraged critics even more but the artists found his work compelling. It was at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival that the bomb was dropped. The highly controversial 'Crash's tarring James Spader was shot down with boos and jeers from even the highest of artists. This film clearly went over the line, and yet many people found it to be quite an intelligent piece of work.

The quality of something depends on who is looking at it and what the person who is looking at it is like. Someone might look at two naked people running through a park as a wonderfully observed piece of filmography whereas someone else might find it to be superfluous to the plot and find it to be tasteless, indecent, odious and just plain nasty. Many of David Cronenberg's work has been stylish and experimental as I mentioned. Most of his plots have been overly and way too complicated for the average Joe to comprehend. It is not quite understood weather he is doing his work of artistic purposes, to prove a point, or to make a pile of money. One thing is for certain, he has definitely caught the attention of billions of people with his shock techniques of film making.

Now for the controversy. There are two major sides of this movie melee. The artists and the critics. When the artists look at nudity and extreme violence they find it intriguing and maybe even somewhat arousing.

I, myself, am not one of the people who share this point of view. It is difficult to spell out your insides and feelings onto paper and so I have tried as best I can to explain what they are thinking, to you. Secondly, when a critic sees supreme violence and nudity they find it immoral and revolting. Some find it 'alright's ewing as how it is entwined with the rest of the plot, but the movie 'Crash' for instance has nudity after nudity after nudity. Even the part of society who accept adult scenes in film became shocked at the hard-core nonsense Cronenberg was directing. Mr. Cronenberg's new film 'ExsitenZ' is supposed to be as irritating as The Fly or The Dead Zone, but a lot more violent.

In conclusion, it's all about who is looking at what, and the type of person that is looking and criticising. My final and only opinion on the matter is to think what you wish, because it's a free country... isn't it?