David Cronenberg: A Delicate Balance

Kelly J. Saxberg is a freelance writer and filmmaker in Winnipeg,
Manitoba.

This short biography provides readers with some of the details of the
Canadian filmmaker’s life and an interesting discussion of his feature
films. Criticism of the latter is rather thin. For example, discussion
of the influence of William Burroughs, the author of Naked Lunch, takes
precedence over a more concrete description of Cronenberg’s method of
directing a film. The controversies that have surrounded Cronenberg’s
films, particularly their depiction of women, are also given superficial
treatment. Although the book is thoughtful and well written, it lacks
the intimacy that a direct contact with the artist would have provided.