David Cronenberg
Inseparabili

We are in 1988, the year of "They Live" and "Society" (which would be released the following year), two of the milestones of horror thinking of those years. Cronenberg is fresh from the success of the wonderful "The Fly", his Cinema manages to capture a larger audience, thanks also to the faces of stars Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis. Two years later "Dead Ringers" (in Italian "Inseparabili") is released, which, ironically, turns out to be one of the director's least immediate or, allow me the term "commercial", films.

It is the story of Beverly and Elliott Mantle, two virtually identical monozygotic twins who work as gynecologists. Since childhood, they have shared everything, especially on an emotional level, continually swapping places in life. Elliott is the stronger spirit of the two, acting as the vehicle that allows Beverly, the introverted one, to leave home and interact with women. But their bond will be put to the test upon meeting a famous actress who lives with an anatomical peculiarity: a trifurcated uterus.

"Dead Ringers" is a true emotional punch to the stomach. A descent into the inferno of the human mind, amid schizophrenia, drugs, love, passion, sex, drama, and tragedy. Cronenberg extends the timing, making the film slow and painfully appropriate. The message of the new flesh returns once again, but this time the focus rotates around the psychology of the two brothers and how in their completeness they depend solely on one another: Elliott, the more dominant, is harsh but at the same time cold in relationships, managing his company with charisma and presence like a sort of "wolf of Wall Street", yet, as mentioned within the movie, "he's not good with sentimental patients", precisely because of his ultra-pragmatic and emotionally detached view of his actions. Just think of the relationship with his girlfriend, whom he has no qualms about sharing with his brother (the three-way dance scene is the crux of their "relationship"). Beverly, on the other hand, is fragile but in his sensitivity finds a strength. Besides being the more talented one in his field, he needs Elliott to toughen his character and get the most beautiful women. The drama running through the whole film is a slow and harrowing stab, made even colder by Cronenberg's photography and mise-en-scène. There are many memorable scenes, from the disturbing sex sequence to that of one of the brothers, under the influence of heroin, almost killing his patient, to the splendid and heart-wrenching finale. "Dead Ringers" is one of Cronenberg's most moving films, where this time he focuses less on the factor of impressive effects (present in yes and no two scenes, quite disturbing) and drags the viewer into a swirl of paranoia with a bittersweet flavor, violently entering the minds of our characters, experiencing their emotions on the skin without much explanation or falling into banal, sappy sequences. One sees them shattered, hopeless, lost, vulnerable, and Cronenberg sharpens the knife as they sink into the abyss, thanks also to the gigantic performances of the actors.

Jeremy Irons in the dual role of Beverly and Elliott is masterful, a great actor who has always known how to embody roles capable of disturbing, just think of the beautiful "M. Butterfly" also by Cronenberg. He handles the dual role perfectly, from looks to physical presence; although the excellent Italian dubbing, I recommend watching exclusively in English, especially to notice firstly the vocal difference of the two protagonists. The wonderful female lead Genevieve Bujold manages to switch from fragility to sensuality with impressive spontaneity and speed. Curiously, the cast also includes Stephen Lack, the protagonist of "Scanners", playing a professor.

"Dead Ringers" is one of David Cronenberg's most intense and dramatic films, besides being one of his first films where on the technical side he uses photographic special effects to depict the twins in the same frame. A jewel that unfortunately has almost faded over time, and I take the opportunity to highly recommend it, understanding that it is a Cronenberg film, whether you like it or not, its message always comes through in a coherent and direct way.

Finally, study Irons' performance, so you can understand what it means to act as God commands.