Known much more for his macabre-infused efforts such as Shivers, Rabid, and The Brood, David Cronenberg's Fast Company is a anomaly of the filmmakers' early career, being a b-movie centered around Lonnie Johnson, an aging drag racer, whose sponsor, FastCo Motor Treatment, is contemplating canning the legend for a younger, cheaper image. While Fast Company's narrative is a straight-forward good vs. evil drag racer story, Cronenberg's indictment of corporate sponsors is what stands out in Fast Company, showing the corruption it brings in the form of Phil Adamson, the shady manager/promotor of Johnson, who is only interested in what serves the monetary interests of the company. Cronenberg's affection for these men of the road couldn't be more evident throughout Fast Company, capturing the loner, do-it-yourself lifestyle this profession breeds, personifying the free-spirited lifestyles of Lonnie Johnson and his crew of gearheads, men who live their lives on the road, unwilling to conform to the constrictions of their sponsors or the conformist lifestyle. Machoism is also an interesting aspect to Fast Company, with Cronenberg never shying away from the womanizing qualities of this lifestyle, though somehow managing to make Lonnie Johnson endearing anyway, due to him living his life the way he chooses. Cronenberg injects the film with visceral energy, due to detailed cinematography and vivid audio cues, giving the film a very unique time and feel that personifies aspects of Americana, regardless of the fact that it takes place in Canada. The race sequences are particularly impressive, with sound design and unique compositions that put the viewer into the cockpit of these monstrous machines, evoking almost a fetish like perspective on the vibrating engines, oil, and mayhem that makes up drag racing. While it's far from David Cronenberg's best, Fast Company provides a fascinating early look at a legendary filmmaker, being his first commercial film ever made.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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