Directed: David Cronenberg
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The movie must have escaped my notice when it first arrived in our country. It was that period of my life when I was isolated from civilisation and focused on building something of my own.
People have long been captivated by the idea of time travel. The notion of time travel and time dilation even sparked the curiosity of ancient India. In Hindu Puranas, written nearly 2,400 years ago, there is a story of King Kakudmi who could not find a suitable suitor for his talented daughter, Revathi. The king journeyed to Brahmalok (Brahma's realm) to seek an audience with him and request an appropriate husband. While travelling to Brahma's realm, 117 million years passed, and all the suitors they had in mind had died. Humans also changed in appearance over time. Nevertheless, Revathi returned to Earth to marry Krishna's brother, Balarama. Since Revathi and Balarama belonged to different eras, they looked physically different. Revathi was said to be taller and more robust than Balarama.
Some may argue that not enough credence was given to these imaginary stories, but the fact remains that they were aware of time travel and time dilation. That merits further exploration. Teleportation is a form of time travel. For it to occur, extreme gravitational manipulation—possibly through wormholes—is necessary. The subject will need to be transferred via quantum entanglement at the speed of light. All of these concepts are still theoretical.
The film 'Fly' depicts the story of an eccentric scientist experimenting with teleportation. His love interest is a journalist who documents his progress. During a moment of weakness, the scientist teleports himself. Unfortunately, a fly accidentally enters his telepod chamber. The teleportation succeeds, but the scientist's DNA and the fly's DNA become mixed. Initially, the scientist feels energetic and powerful. Over time, he begins to degenerate, losing his limbs one by one and transforming into a gruesome hybrid monster.
The film also depicts how the lovers manage the drastic changes in their relationship, and things become even more complicated when the journalist becomes pregnant. She has to deal with a potentially deformed baby, as his gamete must also be a hybrid.
Although the story is predictable, it still manages to captivate viewers with its graphic content and impressive makeup effects. Is this accident a warning about playing God, or is it part of the learning process? Society must establish its rules as scientists delve deeper into cellular biology and cloning, and the twisting of genetic material becomes mainstream. Playing God may have its consequences.
* "Be afraid. Be very afraid." is a renowned line from the film The Fly, spoken by the character played by Geena Davis as she observes the horrifying transformation of the scientist (Jeff Goldblum) into a grotesque insect-like creature. The line has become iconic, frequently used to convey overwhelming fear and dread.
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