Aaron's Thoughts
There is a coldness in “The Shrouds” that is pretty hard to shake. Whether it is the stilted dialogue, the intentionally stiff performances, or the subject matter itself - Cronenberg seems quite okay with keeping the audience at a distance. So far of a distance that it feels like football field away at times. Which is hilarious for a director who has made a career at keeping the audience an arms length away from his work.
Despite this absurdity from one of the most absurd filmmakers to ever walk the planet, I still found the whole ultimately endearing & even sweet? Just think about how many films you have seen about a spouse grieving the loss of a loved one. Now how many have you seen with the spouse grieving the physical body of a loved one? Probably none. It’s something so singular that only Cronenberg could relate to following the passing of his wife & his relationship with the body that has been well documented throughout his filmography.
Sure, you can easily articulate the emotional connection you develop with a loved one or the intermingling of two souls knit together. But what about your relationship to their physical body? The thing that you have held and hugged and kissed and had next to you for decades. What happens when that one day just suddenly disappears along with the person inhabiting it.
The idea itself feels almost as cold as the wrapper the film comes in.
The Shrouds is ultimately a great example for me that film is best consumed when you truly understand a filmmakers whole body of work & don’t just consume one film in a vacuum. Certainly not some revolutionary idea, just one I have personally been feeling lately.
It’s really cool to read the juxtaposition of reviews from those who have clearly never seen a Cronenberg film to those who have spent much of their lives consuming his art. That’s not to say that one can only consume art from those whom you have seen their previous works, it’s just to say that you often have a deeper affinity & connection to the later works.
It’s something I’m personally trying to get better at. Instead of watching the new third new straight to streaming movie of the week that will never be relevant in the culture, start watching the work of a great director who has a new film coming out later in the year (currently doing so with PTA). Maybe some would call it being a film snob, I just call it film maturity because once you experience a new work from a great director in that way, it’s really hard to go back.
