![Naked Lunch [1991]](http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/pictures/1005421.jpg)
Naked Lunch
Overall: 72%
Feature: 75% (2 reviews)
Extras: 65%
Naked Lunch (1991)
I was fifteen when I first encountered Naked Lunch. Back then, I simply didn’t understand it and wrote the movie off as laughably bad. Watching it again I see it as a darkly touching portrait of the writing process.
The film is not a direct adaptation of William S Burroughs book. Rather it is an amalgamation of many Burroughs stories layered over real events in his life. What has been captured is not an attempt to transfer the book to screen, but Burroughs journey as a writer, told in a style fitting of the author.
It follows William Lee, an exterminator whose wife has taken up a habit of shooting his bug powder. Later he is arrested and quizzed on his perceived recreational use of the pesticide. Once the police leave the room a large bug appears from the powder and tasks Lee with the assassination of his wife.
After killing the bug and escaping, he comes home to find his wife with two of his friends. He suggests their “William Tell” routine. His wife places a glass on her head as he aims and misses with a handgun; inadvertently completing his mission by killing her.
He then flees to “Interzone,” where he writes reports on various typewriters; all of whom appear as semi-insect giving him advice on his mission.
From there the film has a very loose plot, but is mainly held together through metaphor and allegory. A strange mix of reality and hallucination; Lee continues to write his report while finding himself in surreal situations. It is here that the film comes into its own, depicting Burroughs journey in writing Naked Lunch after accidentally killing his actual wife.
While the majority of the film is absurdly fantastical, it is also deeply unsettling. Cronenberg’s effects may seem tacky, yet the image of an insect/typewriter which speaks out of a sphincter on its back will have even hardened horror fans squirming in their seats.
The intertwined nature of the many insects, sexual perversions and drugs covers over the real issues that Burroughs struggled with. Peeling back the weird elements we can see a struggling writer, dealing with guilt and dependence.
Peter Weller’s performance works in tandem with the abstract storyline. Cold and calculated he accepts his surroundings. Talking at great length with his insect typewriters and focussed on uncovering the conspiracy he is wrapped up in. All the time however, Weller projects a great sense of detachment and talks quite ironically of his mission, as though he doesn’t even believe it himself.
Overall this is a forgotten classic. Slow-paced and engrossing, a style that feels almost forgotten with the big budget monsters Hollywood churns out today. Impossible to define in a short review, it must be seen to be understood. Suffice to say that anyone who has dabbled in writing will appreciate this darker portrait of the art form.
EXTRAS:
Commentary:
Cronenberg’s commentary of the film proves very insightful. For anyone unfamiliar with Burroughs or the beat movement, this will be very informative; clearing up who represents who and what certain nuances of the film mean.
We are also treated to a glimpse of Cronenberg’s mind. His ability to blend sex and horror together to produce intellectually stimulating films is well documented, but this commentary will give you some idea of how his mind was working when conceptualising the movie itself.
On the other hand a lot of ground is gone over more than once in the commentary and can feel pretty forced at times. I can’t help but wonder how different the commentary would have been had Burroughs been alive at the time of recording.
Naked Making Lunch:
“Naked Making Lunch” is quite an enjoyable documentary which is made up largely of interviews with people involved in making the film.
But what really makes this 50 minutes feature, is seeing Cronenberg and Burroughs on screen at the same time during a press conference. There is something very satisfying about these two artists of different trades, sharing a stage. We are also treated to Burroughs reading live extracts of the book, in which we can clearly see why Weller was the obvious choice for the role.
The documentary, much like the film, covers many things but never clearly. We are given a brief history of the film, the book and Burroughs life as well as. It is interesting to see Burroughs talk about his drug addiction and his opinions on the film itself.
Interview with Jeremy Thomas:
The interview with producer Jeremy Thomas is a much more in depth description of the film from conception to completion. You can almost feel the pride from Thomas, while he discusses working with both Cronenberg and Burroughs.
Trailer:
Naked Lunch’s trailer is actually quite different from any other trailer. It begins with archive footage of Burroughs as an impersonator talks about the controversy the book caused, and then laminates the irony that it should be made into a film.
Sean Sweeney
FEATURE: 80%
EXTRAS: 65%
OVERALL: 75%
2nd Opinion:
A surreal mind-trip of a movie, full of bizarre characters and situations. Cronenberg was clearly the right director for the movie. Weller is well cast and Judy Davis is excellent as his wife. This is one film you won't forget in a hurry but is it a trip worth taking twice?
Stewart McLaren
FEATURE: 70%
