The production of metamorphic bodies and the presence of humanoid hybrids is often the subject of discussion in various works of fiction. Depending on the genre, the subject of human body modification is approached differently, with horror often leaning heavily into the implications of body transformation on humanity and otherness (Cruz). In science fiction, on the other hand, the theme can be viewed through a more positive lens, considered an improvement upon the human structure. Overall, the approach a piece takes when discussing metamorphic bodies largely depends on the general themes of the work, as well as the hybrid’s origins. The production of a hybrid and the process of their “birth” plays a large role in how they are framed to the audience. The creation of a regular person is considered to be a natural, organic process. As something made possible by the biological capabilities of humans and other mammals, human birth and reproduction is viewed as something pure, and outside interference is often a corruptive factor. It could be argued that the artificial means of production that humans have developed are viewed as inherently alien and disruptive towards human creation. This belief is tightly interlinked with religious thought, where human birth is often regarded as a sacred process bestowed upon by the higher power. The human interference into the “natural” process results in the creation of hybrid beings, or changes existing being into something distinctly “other” than its surroundings. Production spaces and mechanisms play an especially interesting role when utilized in line with such concepts, being a corruptive force that often beings harm. This essay aims to examine the concept of an assembly line in Chaplin’s “Modern Times” and 1986 horror film “The Fly”. The paper will attempt to analyze the portrayal of production facilities and the effect they have on the creation of metamorphic bodies.
Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times”
In the case of Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times”, the factory scene is played largely as a comical event, framed as a light-hearted way to create original slapstick comedy. The main character of the short, the Tramp, being occupied with his work, gets sucked into the machine and begins acting differently after being rescued from it (Chaplin). He seems to be partially devoid of human reasoning and unable to see other people as people, instead of trying to use a wench on them. The Tramp’s being inside of the machine has altered his perception of himself and others, leading to his inability to communicate with “normal” people. The machine, an assembly line, in this regard, is seen and used as a tool to transform the character, making him malfunction. The manual labor he performs for a job is much like a machine’s, a strictly regulated process that encourages repetition. In this environment, humans are stripped of their individuality and expected to constantly perform the same task. The Tramp, as one of the workers there, seems to not fit within the system fully and has trouble keeping a consistent pace. Much like a faulty machine, he is reconfigured inside the assembly line, which makes his malfunction even more. The machine plays a role of a corrupting factor to the human body and mind, making the main character perform even worse.
1986’s “The Fly”
1986’s “The Fly” is a horror movie exploring the themes, of love, jealousy, and body horror. Seth Brundle, one of the central characters, is a genius scientist that has created a pair of teleportation pods. During one of the teleportation attempts, the man is accidentally fused with a housefly on a genetic level. His transformation is gradual, with Seth beginning to exhibit inhuman strength and stamina, physically changing in appearance. The fly genes force the character to grow insect hairs, and his behavior soon changes too. Seth becomes more aggressive and erratic, his sense of self and reasoning slowly eroding as the transformation is consuming more and more of his humanity. By the end of the film, he tries to fuse himself with the woman he dated and his unborn child, seeing it as a way to return his humanness. The fact that the man considers bringing harm to another for the sake of himself in such an extreme act is a testament to how much of his self was affected by the fusion. Much like in Chaplin’s short, the teleportation pods are a corrupting force that disrupts the natural order of creation. Interestingly, it is noted early on that the machine struggles with replicating living beings and “doesn’t understand the flesh”. The teleported objects that the pod creates are copies of the original and are at first vastly inferior to the real item. Even after Seth fine-tunes the machine, it is unclear how much it can alternate a human’s self in the process of teleportation. The mechanism suited for replicating matter brings forth the questions of authenticity and otherness, making the audience wonder whether the teleported copy is the same as the original. Reinforcing such thoughts, the movie additionally portrays the danger of human interference into the natural process and the disastrous consequences that might entail. The teleportation machine here is another device that transforms the human self into something uniquely separate.
Works Cited
Chaplin, Charlie. Modern Times.
Cruz, Ronald Allan Lopez. “Mutations and Metamorphoses: Body Horror Is Biological Horror.” Journal of Popular Film and Television, vol. 40, no. 4, 2012, pp. 160–168.